Give Me A Reason
by NekoIllustrations
Summary: "The choice: die once and for all or live on to see the end of this damn war. The catch: if he chose to live, he had to try and find something worth living for. The question: was he willing to risk getting hurt again?" This is a rewrite of my old DGM fics, but with improved writing skills and better developed characters. I haven't decided if I'll pair anyone up yet.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **Well, I'm back! Sort of, I don't know how long I'll keep my activity up here anymore. I'm going off to college soon and I'm also in the middle of writing a book that I may turn into a graphic novel. Anyway, I figured it was time to take a break and revisit the world of fanfiction, so I decided to take a new look at "In Memoriam" and "An Assassin's Grace", the latter of which I have deleted. The first two chapters are similar to what was in "An Assassin's Grace", but the story goes a different direct afterward. Of course, since I do not have ESP and therefore no idea where the actual DGM plot will go, this story can be considered slightly AU. I also haven't decided whether or not this will be a KandaXOC or not (I have two different endings in mind), so we'll see what happens. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy. Reviews are always appreciated.

**Chapter 1: Watchmen**

_Location: The crossing from Kii to Ise Province, Japan_

_Time: 10:39 PM_

A resounding crash echoed through the forest as the metallic demon fell in a billow of smoke and fire. The youth who had cut down the monster stood for a moment to sheath his sword, no longer glowing as it had during the match, just an ordinary blade to the passing eye.

The young man surveyed his surroundings carefully as he returned to his comrades on the road. His blue-black hair swayed as he moved his head from side to side, up and down, his dark grey eyes scanning the surrounding trees for any trace of movement. Satisfied that there were no other threats at the moment, he nodded to the large man accompanying him, then spoke to the older of his comrades, who seemed to be in charge of the trio. In all the days they had been observing the group, he had never once seen either the youth or the large man give an order, or move without approval from the third traveler.

"My lord." He looked up as the doppelgangers joined him, crouching on a lower branch and kneeling as best they could to show him their respect. When he raised an eyebrow in question, they spoke again in unison. "We've been tracking them since they landed in Nagato, my lord, is it worthwhile to keep on now that we've reached our territory? They seem to have no sinister motive for coming here, and have even destroyed some of the monsters on their way."

"Indeed they have" he replied, not moving his eyes from the group as they stopped again. They were over the bridge now, officially in Kagesōsha territory, where he would have every right to apprehend them. It would be so easy to pick them off the trail and bring them in for interrogation. However, the clan head would never approve of that course of action. His father was tired of searching, and had made it quite clear to him that he wanted to hear nothing more relating to the Hoshimukimei, the Star Bearers. It frustrated him, and he wanted nothing more to drag these people to the main residence and prove once and for all that his sister had been taken by these strangers.

To see his own countryman conversing in flawless English with those two foreigners seemed so wrong, practically barbaric, even though he himself was fluent in the language. Moreover, the man moved with a speed and grace reminiscent of his own clansmen, making him wonder if he too had been spirited away by the Star Bearers. He may be the son of one the outpost leaders from another province. The Big man referred to him by his surname, Kanda, which could mark him as a native of the neighboring Owari province. Just as his sister had been so many years ago, this youth could have been abducted. Although there was no record in existence of such an occurrence, one could never completely rule out the possibility.

Then the youth's cloak shifted in a sudden gust of wind, and he swore under his breath, rage boiling in his veins. Emblazoned on his chest was none other than that accursed insignia, the mark of his sister's kidnappers. Had this man been involved in that attack, then? No, he was far too young, maybe even the same age as his little sister.

"How much farther do you think, Yū, my boy?" The leader of the group was clearly enjoying himself, his voice merry and wise in its sound. The youth, Yū, gave the man an annoyed look before responding, most likely having little to no respect for the man's authority. Once again, the thought occurred to him that the boy had been kidnapped as well.

"Marshall, I've asked you repeatedly not to call me that" Yū replied, a hard undertone in his voice, one that seemed to be a constant presence in his dialog. On the few occasions he had heard him speak, that same tone was prevalent in his words. Whether boy was simply arrogant or perpetually angry, he could not tell. What was clear to him, though, was that his more prevalent displays of short-temperedness, at least those he had borne witness to, had been brought on by the older man's teasing, nothing more.

"Ren." He flinched as his aide placed a hand on his shoulder, hating himself for such a reaction. He should have sensed Haru's approach no matter what the situation. Then again, his childhood friend was one of the best at remaining unseen and unheard in their clan.

"What is it?" he asked, turning back to watch the group. They were sitting down now, or at least the foreigners were. Yū seemed quite content with leaning against a tree with folded arms and his ever-present frown.

"They don't seem to mean us any harm, and I'm sure your father will be wondering where you are" Haru was saying. "We should return to the residence. Please, just give up on this chase. Whatever they want, it has nothing to do with us."

"You've seen them prowling the villages and cities" Ren replied. "they want something, and that something gives me the unpleasant feeling that they will do again what they did ten years ago."

"Ren, if she was still alive, don't you think she would have returned by now?" His friend's voice was gentle, but it was plain that he thought Ren was being too optimistic. For years, he'd been telling him to give up, just as everyone in the village had, but he still refused. His sister was out there, alive, he could feel it in his gut. Even someone from their clan could be confined, neither he nor his sister was any exception to that fact. They were probably making use of her powers in some way, taking advantage of their ancestral matriarch's bloodline.

The leader, Marshall, was chuckling. "I was just asking a question" he said playfully.

"One to which I couldn't possibly know the answer" Yū retorted with no lack of exasperation. "I hadn't set foot in Japan until we arrived in Nagato, you know that full well."

Well, there went his kidnapping theory. It seemed that this Yū person was a full-fledged member of the Star Bearers. He was probably the son of a refugee who had given birth to him overseas, but Ren couldn't bring himself to accept that logic. There was a distinct pallor to his skin and a certain refined aspect to his appearance that gave him the look of a noble. Maybe he had been kidnapped as an infant and never told his about true origins. Either way, he was a perplexing man, not least because he attacked his opponents without the slightest hesitance, as if he had no fear of death.

"They're going to Edo" he said to Haru. His father made it a requirement for all clan members to learn English, as many of their missions involved watching the smuggling activity in Nagasaki and other ports. British and American sailors were their prime suppliers, but sometimes they sought to cheat out the inhabitants to make a quick profit for inferior goods. It was always amusing to see the surprise on their faces when a clan member confronted them with perfect English.

"Are you Froi Tiedoll?" Ren jerked his head up as the distorted, metallic voice permeated the forest. There were none of these monsters here, there couldn't be, not with the barriers they had placed around the residence, especially the ones this close to the shrine. The spell was designed to keep out supernatural entities with less-than-favorable intentions. It was what had kept the province thriving for so long. And yet, here it was, a metal bumblebee sort of thing, speaking casually to Marshall, rather _the_ Marshall, who rose to the strange name. Yū had drawn his sword again, but only a few inches out of its sheath.

The rest of the conversation was lost on him, as they were speaking too low and Ren was too far away. He was at a crossroads; he could continue on with his men and got to Edo, or he could return home and once again try to persuade his father that the Star Bearers existed. Both options would be rather arduous, and probably be more stagnant than progressive.

"My Lord." Ren turned as the messengers dropped down before him, both men bearing the crest of his father's personal guard. "Your most honorable father has called for your swift return. He says that your lordship has been gone from the residence for too long and demands to know what prompted you to leave without so much as a warning."

Ren grit his teeth. So he would be returning after all then. Ah, well, at least now he would have his proof. With a nod, he said, "I will obey my father's request, but first, I urge you to look to those men, the three sitting on the edge of the trail."

The messengers peered and looked in the direction he was pointing. "How did one of the demons get through our barrier?" one asked, the other nodding in agreement. "And how have those men managed to stay alive."

"I don't know" Ren admitted, slightly irritated that their attention had gone straight for the monster. "Look to the _men_, though."

"We see them, my lord" they replied. "One of them is a fellow countryman, it seems. Is he a guide for those foreigners, or something?"

"Hoshimukimei."

The first messenger stiffened. "My lord, the head has forbidden such talk, has he n… what is it?" He trailed off and glanced as his partner, who was gesturing at Yū's uniform. He had removed his cloak during the conversation to adjust the sheath handing on his hip, displaying the pointed star on his chest, causing the first messenger to stare in wonder.

"Impossible!" he gasped. "They _do_ exist." He turned to his master's son. "they are your lordship's sister's kidnappers, you say?"

"Not them specifically" Ren told him. "The men I saw were dressed in black, but they were masked, and used spells similar to ours, not weapons like these men. However, the exact same crest adorned their cloaks. I don't know yet what these men seek in our land, but I have my suspicions."

"Then that boy is a traitor to our country" the second messenger growled. "He wears that stigmatic mark like a crown."

"Traitor or unwitting prisoner, I do not know." They looked at him then, confusion clear on their faces, urging him to explain, which he promptly did. "He said earlier he had never set foot on Japanese soil, which leads me to believe he was either born to a refugee or spirited away in his infancy."

"Sir, we must report this to the head" the first messenger said urgently. "We can verify your claim now."

Ren nodded. "Let us go, then."

They returned, and it was only a week after his report that Ren was summoned back to his father's chambers, this time with the order to report to Edo. The Star Bearers were going to get their just punishment, and the youth, Yū, was to be brought straight to interrogation. If Ren was right and he was just an unwitting pawn, it would be far easier to get information out of him than the others. Even if he was wrong, it would be far more satisfying to break a traitorous countryman than a foreign villain. The prospect of the mission excited him, all the more because his father would be coming as well.

Nothing ever came of it. Their journey to the capital was cut short when they were informed by a passing merchant that the city had been completely destroyed. He told them of there being three times as many Star Bearers there than the original group, but nothing had been seen of them since. It was if they'd disappeared off the face of the earth.

So that brought an end to their search, and Ren plunged into despair. This had been the closest they had ever come to finding even a clue to his sister's whereabouts. Now, because of whatever tragedy had befallen the capital, they had lost the trail, and even the excellent sense of smell of their four-legged comrades could not pick it up again.

It was one of these comrades that came and placed his head in his lap, letting out a small whine of sympathy. Kurogane was Ren's closest friend other than Haru and the twins, and the silent wolf was just what he needed now. He stretched out on the tatami mats, exposing his furry underside so Ren could use him as a makeshift pillow.

"You know me too well" he sighed, gently placing his head on the wolf's side. "I can't believe we failed. After all that, we failed, and those damn Star Bearers got away from us."

Kurogane let out a low growl in assent.

"Rest assured" he went on, a new determination welling up inside of him. "The instant those men see fit to enter our territory again, they will not escape a second time. We'll be waiting, and they will never see us coming."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: A Very Odd Poker Game**

_Location: The Port at Brighton, England_

_Time: 9:13 PM_

Allen sat at the opposite end of the table, his usual semi-sadistic, you-should-have-seen-this-coming poker smile on his face. As he slid his cards across the table, eyes glinting at the pile of chips in the middle, he listened with pleasure to the cries of anguish rising up from his opponent. The man was probably five times bigger than him, heavily tattooed a clearly a mafia boss, but he was such a odd man that he had yet to point his guns at the white-haired boy who has such "luck" with cards.

It was actually how he had suckered the man into playing him in the first place. The boss apparently had a sick love for all things he considered beautiful, and the deal was that "snow-white", as he called him, would give up his freedom for the man if he could beat him in a poker game. Allen was hard-pressed for cash anyway, as his flight from the Order and Apocryphos had left him with so few opportunities to find work. Even so, making the necessary survival money was more of an added plus along with watching the man writhe in desperation. Normally, he might have felt pity for the boss, but his life had taken such a negative turn of late that it was worth beating out a lowlife every so often.

Besides, he had his eyes set on a more important prize, which was sitting behind the boss on a velvet display stand. It was a glorious statue made of up an enchanting blood red glass. At its base stood a trio of magnificent wolves, each looking up at the feminine figure standing among them with loving adoration. The woman's head was bent, her hands folded as if in prayer, but neither the statue's form, nor the unique material of which it was made, was what made me so determined to have it. Under the glass was some sort of translucent black-red substance that he had first mistaken for particularly deep garnet fragments. A closer look told him otherwise, and once he realized the truth, he knew he had to deliver the piece from its eccentric owner. It would be a pain to lug about, given that it was nearly six feet tall and over four in diameter. It would be certainly conspicuous, but it would be worth the risk of potential discovery in the end.

"Call" he said again, sending another wave of misery to the ceiling.

"Damn it!" the boss roared, slamming his oversized fists on the table. "I have to have you, though, my little white rabbit! Let's go again!"

Rather than address his being called a 'little while rabbit' Allen simply shrugged and took his turn to shuffle. "Alright, but let's raise the stakes a bit on your end" he said. "I'm risking my freedom on these games, and I think I deserve a little better than plain old cash."

"Anything for another shot" the boss said vehemently. "What is it?"

"That statue behind you" he replied simply, nodding to the structure. "Red's my favorite color you see, and I've just got to have it."

The boss paled, then seemed to struggle with himself until he finally threw his hands up in defeat. "FINE!" he blurted. "Now, let's go!"

With the final hand dealt, Allen left the bar pushing the sheet-covered statue on a flatbed cart. As he walked along the darkened streets, he hummed a little tune to himself and ignored the boss's cries for vengeance.

For the first time since fleeing the Order, he decided to stay in a hotel. It had been over a week since he'd last seen Apocryphos, and the hordes of Akuma that had also been chasing him seemed to be giving him a respite. Despite his exhaustion, however, Allen knew he had to have another look at that statue. If he turned out to be wrong, he had just pissed off a mafia boss for no reason.

Fortunately, there was no mistaking it; that shimmer off the strangely pure crystal, its color shifting and swirling like water underneath the glass. Yes, Allen was sure of it.

"Innocence" he breathed, pressing his left hand against the smooth surface. It was cool to his touch initially, then a pleasant warmth flowed from the dark red material. It seemed to hum slightly as it sensed his own fragment of the cube.

Timcampy flitted onto the statue, investigating it in his own little way. He too seemed to have recognized the powerful substance undulating beneath the clear hard shell. Allen contemplated what to do with it, how to get it to the Order without getting himself captured at the same time, wracking his brain for answers until he saw it. It was visible only for a moment before the waves of dark red covered it again, but the sight had been so shocking that Allen knew he hadn't mistaken it for something else.

A closed human eye, for that was what it was, delicately decorated with long black lashes, slipped back into view as the liquid within the statue suddenly began to undulate and the statue came to life. The wolves moved their heads to look at him, eyes glowing with a strange white light. One back away from him and huddled closer to the figure, lying down as if to protect whoever was inside. The other two crept forward and touched their noses to his still outstretched hand.

Allen fell to the floor with a silent cry as images began racing through his head. There was a desert, and a group of finders, and Marie, and… Kanda? He was younger, maybe fourteen or fifteen at most, and his hair was several inches shorter, pulled into a low ponytail. Like he had always been wont to do, he was arguing with someone. Marie was lying on the ground, looking ill rather than injured, but the third exorcist with which he was arguing was someone Allen didn't recognize. Whoever it was looked to be of eastern origins, like Lenalee or Kanda himself, with close-cropped hair and rather androgynous, though undeniably appealing, features. He wanted to say it was a boy, given the masculine style of the young exorcist's uniform and the sharp cut of his hair. There was no sound to accompany the images, so he could not make any assumptions base off of voices, nor could he fathom what they were arguing about.

The images shifted, revealing the nameless exorcist again, this time alone. He –Allen just decided to assume it was a boy- was surrounded by a horde of Akuma, to which he would soon lose if he did not manage to escape. As the monsters converged on him, he jumped into the air with surprising speed and agility for such a lanky kid. A bow materialized in his hand, and he let loose several rounds of arrows while taking barely any time to aim. The flaming deathtraps rained down on the Akuma, destroying several, but making hardly a dent in their ranks. The boy was quickly becoming desperate, and soon did the unthinkable.

A barrage of hellfire, black with crimson highlights, surged forth, claiming the level one and two Akuma as a wildfire would a field in the middle of a drought. The flames flickered and shot into the air, replicating the form of an enormous three-headed wolf that stood protectively over its master. However, it was a double-edged sword. The flames were causing damage to the host as the power of the Innocence began to consume him. The sand picked up around him as the various monsters exploded, melting into glass pellets as the heat of the Innocence reached the tiny particles.

Suddenly, a dune collapsed, causing an avalanche of sand to deluge the young exorcist. Everything ceased, and silence filled the cool desert night. As the images began to blur and fade to complete blackness, a two voices began speaking with one another. One was a woman's, the other sounded like some sort of ethereal being.

"I can't sit around any longer, I need to return to the fight" the woman said.

"Why?" The being asked. "For what reason must you return to battle?"

"To protect my friends, my second family, and to liberate my home."

The voices faded, and Allen's mind cleared, then he found himself back in the hotel room, staring at the statue.

It was glowing with a radiant light, strong enough to make him shield his eyes. He was just in time too, a loud shattering alerted him to the glass figure exploding, sending shards of jagged glass into his unprotected right arm. A gust of wind surged through the room, and Allen swore he heard something like a howl reach his ears before it all came to an end. Silence fell, but he remained still for several moments before carefully lowering his arms.

Confusion, that was the predominant thing Allen felt when he beheld the scene in front of him. Among the sparkling glass lay, not the boy he had expected, but a young woman. Despite his morals as a gentleman, Allen's curiosity got the better of him and he couldn't help but take in her appearance.

She was built for speed, a fact indicated by her long, slender, and clearly supple limbs as well as an equally proportioned torso. Standing, Allen suspected she might be a couple inches taller than Lenalee. Her jet-black hair fell over her gracefully sloped shoulders and slithered down past her waist. It looked as if the frontal locks had been cut or singed. for they had grown long enough to suffice as only bangs. The strands of these got progressively longer as they approached the main body of her hair, concealing the left half of her face completely. Allen assumed it matched her right, which possessed a high cheekbone and smooth jaw line, along with the carefully arched eyebrow and long, thick eyelashes. Her modesty was only slightly compromised, thought the rags clothing her covered little more than her gently curved hips and modest chest.

Of all the things to notice, however, it was the girl's back that particularly caught his attention. Between her shoulder blades sat a crescent moon surrounded by a ring of fire, with two characters interwoven in the design, but that was not all. Above the intricate ink sat the same mark he'd scene on the chest of none other than Kanda Yū. The flame-like halo dancing in the other image on her back reminded him a little of the jagged pattern he'd seen on Kanda's skin.

A small groan escaped from young woman's lips as she stirred. Her visible eye cracked open, revealing a flash of startling silver before closing again quickly as she winced at the light. Allen was just wondering how long it had been since she had opened those eyes when he noticed the accessories on her hands. A simple bangle sat loosely on each wrist while a ring wrapped comfortably around each of her third fingers. The bangles were of the same black-red hue as the crystal, and otherwise completely unadorned. The rings however, were black for the most part, but their edges were red, as were the edges of the cross-shaped cut outs.

"What… is this?" her voice was hoarse from lack of use, but still light in its quality, with a underlying note of distinction, as if the girl were from a high-class family. A thin cross was etched into each of her third fingers, framed by the similarly shaped openings in the rings and still oozing blood as she inspected them, finally able to open her eyes again. After a moment, she turned them on Allen, silver irises blazing with alarm and wariness.

After a moment, the harsh look softened as she took in her surroundings with only mild interest. "Not exactly the most preferable place for an exorcist" she said, sounding slightly amused. "Then again, you're not entirely an exorcist, are you?"

Allen blinked. "How did you…?"

"While you were gazing at fragments of my memories, I was forced to look at a few of yours, but I didn't gather much aside from your being an exorcist, but not an exorcist" she said dismissively. Gesturing to the small bundle in which he carried his clown gear and a few other belongings, she continued, "I don't mean to be forward, but I don't suppose you have an extra shirt I can borrow."

"Oh, yes!" he scrambled to his feet and dug out his long night shirt. The girl slipped it over her rags, clearly preferring to maintain her modesty even with dirty clothes. After a moment of relatively awkward silence, he asked, "um… who are you exactly?"

"My name's Kai" she told him. "I was also an exorcist of the Black Order until about three and a half years ago, when my mission in Israel went south." She shook her head. "I guess it was my fault, though, since I insisted on going on my own."

"You've been in that crystal for over three years?" he asked incredulously. Obviously the Innocence had not only helped her to survive, but mature physically and mentally. Even so, it was almost unthinkable that she could be this lively after so long without seeing the world. "How are you even standing right now?"

"I can tell you it's not easy" she laughed. "I have a high tolerance for pain, though, and after being inactive for so long, it feels good to stretch. However," she sank onto the second bed in the room, "I think I'm at my limit." Placing her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands, she playfully batted her eyelashes at him and smiled innocently, saying, "so, tell me about yourself, Mr. Sort-Of-Exorcist."

"M-my name's Allen Walker" he replied awkwardly, taken aback by her eagerness. "As you say, I'm an exorcist, but I'm also a Noah… kind of… I guess."

Kai blinked uncomprehendingly. "Noah? Clearly I've missed a lot over the past few years" she said, her smile fading into a more serious demeanor. Leaning back, she asked, "can you tell me everything that I've missed? I can't go back to the Order without knowing."

Allen thought about her request. If he told everything of importance that had occurred since his arrival at the Black Order, she might very well turn on him and insist he go back. Still, Kai seemed like a nice person, and her three-and-a-half-year stint in a crystal probably had her dying for information. Plus, he'd sensed a hidden anxiety in her voice, as if she wanted to know something that didn't necessarily pertain to him. Maybe she wanted to know what had happened to Kanda and Marie? By now Allen had realized that she had indeed by the "boy" exorcist on that mission, during which Kanda and Marie had been her traveling comrades. Still, though he knew it was fair, he was very reluctant to tell her about the incident at the North American Branch.

She seemed to have guessed his thoughts, and a sad smile crossed her lips as she took his hands in her own. "Please, Allen," she said in a low voice. "tell me. I have deeper connections in the Order than you realize, I have a right to know what's been going on. Whatever tragedy has befallen you and the others, I can handle it." She paused, as if to deliberate on something, then continued. "If… if you tell me, I'll explain my situation to you in return. I get the sense that you, like me, know more than the average non-Marshall Exorcist should."

"You don't have to do that" Allen replied, shaking his head. Then he set about telling her everything that had happened. Dawn broke before he finished, and he did not reach the end until it was already past six in the morning. When he did stop, he felt drained, as if his entire life force had flown out of his body, leaving a weary empty shell. On the bright side, the Fourteenth had remained calm throughout his tale, and it didn't seem like he'd been surfacing anytime soon, meaning he'd be able to sleep without worries.

The Exorcist across from him was silent, her hands folded in front of her as she contemplated what he'd told her. Of all things, he thought she'd be distraught over Kanda's disappearance and Alma's death, for she admitted having knowledge of the latter at one point. However, only a slight perplexity marred her features, as if something in his story didn't make sense.

"That Kanda" she sighed. "I'll skin him alive if we ever cross paths again."

"I wouldn't count on it" he said quietly. "He's a free man now, why would he go back to being the Order's slave?"

"I can honestly say that I don't know what he'll do" Kai admitted, sitting up and gazing at the ceiling. "Still, I told him not to go to a certain place without my company, but apparently my 'death' lead him to believe that particular rule didn't apply anymore. I'll teach him to be reckless like that again."

Allen felt his jaw drop. "I just told you all about his tragic past, and his frustration at being the Order's dog, and now you're criticizing him for not obeying commands? You're harsh, Miss Kai."

"Don't call me 'Miss' anything, please" she snapped. "It irks me when a fellow Exorcist tries to be formal with me. We're comrades in arms, equals, so don't try to put distance between us." Moving on, she said, "I already said I knew about Kanda's being a Second Exorcist. I never met Alma personally, but Kanda did tell me plenty about him, thus I also knew about his 'tragic past' as you called it, so don't start pointing the finger of insensitivity in my direction."

"I still don't understand how you knew" he asked skeptically. "You'd have to have lived in the Order for a pretty long time to know all about that."

Kai smirked, in a way that reminded him unpleasantly of his Japanese rival. Stretching her hand up to her shoulder, she made a clear gesture to the mark he had seen on her back. "Did you honestly think the Order could come up with self-repairing bodies with only standard magic?" she asked him, dropping her hand again. "I'm sure you're aware that there are numerous families with the ability to pass down certain magical skill through the generations. The most obvious example I can give you is Bak Chan and his ability to control the spirit guardian of the Asia Branch. There were rumors that General Cross was a sorcerer too."

Allen nodded. "Are you from a magically-gifted family too?"

"Yes, my ancestor was a priestess at the Ise Shrine blessed with the ability to control the spirits of the moon" she explained to him. "Essentially, she possessed unique healing powers, and those with the most grievous afflictions would seek her out and come home good as new. The rest of my clan is magically-gifted as well, but only with the same type of abilities you'd see around the Order. Only the direct female descendants of the priestess will inherit her healing powers."

"So, like Kanda, you can recover from injuries with high-speed regeneration" he concluded.

To his surprise, she shook her head. "My abilities are far different" she said. "I can heal others by channeling the energy from the spirits into their bodies, and I can also heal myself, but not the way Kanda does. I need to apply the same energy and spells I use when treating the wounded when treating my own injuries, I don't have the ability to regenerate from mortal wounds. However, my blood can heal others as well, and that is what the Order took and twisted to create the perfect bodies for the second Exorcists."

Allen felt his stomach clench. "Twisted?"

"They manipulated the magical gene with their own spells to induce the kind of instinctive high-speed regeneration Kanda and Alma possessed" she told him.

"And they kidnapped you for this specific purpose?" Allen was disgusted that Central would go so far, but, then again, it wasn't totally surprising.

Yet again, Kai shook her head. "Though the Order knew full well of my ancestor's powers, I was the first born with the ability to survive the Akuma virus, though I could not eliminate it from anyone. They saw it as a mysterious phenomenon, and came after me to see if I was a potential accommodator. It turned out I was compatible with the cube, but, rather than the Parasitic Type they had expected to find, I was the accommodator of one of the fragments a Central agent was carrying when they came to investigate. It was simply my connection with the innocence which gave me my ability to survive the virus. I was, though, as you said, taken from my home by force. My clan is very protective of their own, especially of those born with the priestess's power, and they were determined to have me as both an Exorcist and an experiment."

"So, since your healing powers weren't really Innocence-related, you became part of the Second Exorcist project" Allen concluded.

She nodded. "There were some kinks in the process, however, so only Kanda and Alma ended up relative successes. I didn't meet Kanda until after Alma had lost it. He had already synchronized with Mugen, come to headquarters, and been assigned to Marshall Tiedoll's faction before I even knew who he was. You see, I had fully synchronized with my own fragment just weeks after recovering from the DNA extraction process, and was scheduled to begin my Exorcist training at the same time Kanda was."

Judging by the grimace on her face, Allen saw fit to comment, "I'm guessing you two didn't hit it off."

A mirthless laugh escaped her lips. "No, he hated me for doing so little to resist the Order's wishes and indirectly causing him so much suffering. I hated him back for blaming me when there had been no possible way for me to fight back. Eventually we reconciled, and took to being rivals, as we both realized there was something we could both learn from the other. I taught him hand-to-hand combat, stealth, and speed tactics, and he in turn taught me sword, strength, and head-on combat techniques. I showed him the calming effects of meditation while he showed me the benefits of morning sparring matches. We still had our moments, but we tolerated each other most of the time." She smiled.

Allen nodded, impressed there was someone in this world that Kanda actually "got along" with. A few things were still weighing on his mind, though, and he wanted to ask Kai about them before he slept and risked loosing them in the depths of his mind.

"You kept mentioning your 'Clan' earlier" he said. "and hinted that you have something of a militaristic background. Is you family part of the Japanese military?"

The reply was negative. "We're actually fighters for hire, but by no means are we mercenaries" she told him. "I'm from a group known as Kagesōsha Clan, and I'm from the main residence. The head family is part of the nobility, but not in the traditional sense, as the Kagesōsha have outposts in almost every province in Japan outside of the main residence. We're assassins, to use the simple term, though we're also hired as bodyguards and escorts. A lesser known fact is that we keep an eye on the black market trading area in Nagasaki to make sure Japan's economy doesn't suffer too much from its isolation."

"Wow, that's… intense…" he couldn't really think of any other response. "So are you from the head family or something?"

Kai nodded. "My full name is Kirihara Kaida, or Kaida Kirihara if you want to westernize it. I prefer to be called Kai, though, so that's how I usually introduce myself. My father, Kirihara Juken, became the head after my mother, Ayame, gave her life to bring me into this world." At his confused expression, she expanded. "The Kagesōsha is a matriarchal society, and both men and women maintain equal status in everything."

"Then… doesn't that make you the heir?" Allen asked hesitantly.

Again she nodded. "This is why it's better that my family thinks I'm dead" she said in a low voice. "If I do indeed die in this war, as difficult as that may seem for me –difficult, but not impossible, mind you- my brother, Ren, will take my place. The clan has had patriarchs before, but that is a rare condition."

Her resolve struck him as painfully profound. Yes, it was wise not to give her clan false hope of her return, but it was still sad that she had to abandon her family like that. Then again, it was probably the same for all Exorcists who still had homes to which they could return. Now wasn't the time to think about that now, though. He still had one more thing to ask before he passed out from exhaustion.

"What was the order you gave Kanda that he disobeyed?"

This time, Kai looked away from him. "My _request_ was that he not go to Japan without me, for his own safety. If word got back to my family that a man with strange healing abilities reminiscent of mine was in Japan, they would not rest until he was secured in the interrogation chamber and gave up my whereabouts. After that, they'd probably do their best to kill him, or imprison him for life." After a pause, she also confessed, "I think my brother saw me being taken away ten years ago and, knowing him, he'll want revenge on the Order in its entirety. Kanda would face worse than any other Exorcist because he's Japanese, which would make him a traitor in Ren's eyes."

It was Allen's turn to grimace. Somehow, even though it would be Kanda, being tortured by assassins just didn't seem like a pleasant experience. To keep himself from dwelling on it much, he asked, "what does Kagesōsha mean?"

Kai blinked, then started laughing. "It's a rather cliché name for a group of assassins" she said through her mirth. "but no one dares to question it because we're held in such high esteem. Kagesōsha literally means Shadow Runners."

Now Allen frowned. "I should have guessed as much" he said, scratching his head. "What are you going to do from here? I hate to say it, but you can't travel with me, it's too risky."

"I'll disregard that afterthought entirely because you could have no idea how patronizing it sounds to me" Kai said in one breath before replying. "I had a lot to think about in that crystal; the Order's treatment of me, my place in my family, and so on. My main goal before had been to just get my way through the damn war, then, if I didn't die, I'd finally go home and prove to my father that I deserved to be part of the clan's activities and not locked up in a shrine. I decided to view the whole thing as an unpleasant nightmare that I'd eventually escape. That was the whole point: to escape."

"And now?" he prompted.

"Hearing what you've had to say confirmed my new resolution" she said, gazing down at the crosses on her hands. "Regardless of my background, I was born to fight in this war, to follow in the footsteps of my ancestor. More importantly, winning this war is the best thing I can do for my clan and country, and I will protect them no matter what. That's why I've decided to return: to protect those who are important to me and to liberate my country from the Earl's influence." She clenched her fist and held up to Allen with a determined smile. "Cerberus seems satisfied with my resolution, so I'm taking that as the okay to go ahead with it."

With a wink, she added, "don't worry, no one has to know we met."

Allen smiled too. It was good to see his fellow Exorcists still picking up the torch. It was that crystal-type-inducing spirit that would keep the Order alive, not cracked experiments with Akuma DNA or abuses of power. It was also that spirit that drove Allen, and gave him hope that he would find a way to maintain his consciousness despite the Fourteenth's influence. That hope soon gave him comfort, and comfort soon gave him sleep. Tomorrow was a new day, and he and Kai would discuss how to best to part ways when a new dawn came.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: **Long chapter is long.

**Chapter 3: Partings and Reunions**

The Allen kid really hadn't understood the subtle hint she had dropped that day. They stayed together longer than Kai had expected, and she got to know the boy better than was probably wise. He was on the run, and being too involved with him could cause problems when she returned to the Order. The higher-ups were probably already going to have a fit when they found out she had simply been MIA for the past two years.

Everything he'd told her had certainly come as a shock, but she had been careful to mask the majority of her emotions in front of him. The poor kid had enough to deal with, that was for sure, and she didn't want to put too many of her emotions on top of his shoulders as well. Despite everything that had befallen him, though, he had an unbelievable tenacity to keep moving forward that she admired. If anyone had the capability to be both Noah and Exorcist, the largest contradiction on the planet, it was him.

Although she appreciated everything he had done for her –delivering her from that mafia boss, getting her clothes from a shopkeeper who owed him a favor, and staying with her until she was healthy- she couldn't help but wonder how much of a risk he was taking. He had explained to her what had happened while in prison, and that he had to keep moving in order to escaped both the Noah and this Apocryphos creature. Yet, here they were, three weeks later, in the same hotel outside of the same red-light district near the same port.

And then there were the fits. Every so often, his skin would turn an odd, grayish tan, his head would ache, and he would clutch his stomach as if he was about to be sick. At these times, Kai would do everything she could to call him back, call his name, mutter calming mantras in her native tongue, but usually to no avail. All her healing powers seemed to do was hurt him, so all she could do was wait for the moment to pass. It worried her, and she couldn't help but wonder how long he would last on his own.

"Allen" she said as he returned to the room for his performance gear. "Are you really going to be alright by yourself?"

He looked up, blinking in surprise. "I can't let anyone travel with me" he insisted, just as he always had. "I won't put anyone else's life in danger."

"You're not answering my question, Allen" Kai told him pointedly. "I'm asking if you'll be alright on your own, not whether or not you'll sacrifice your pride or morals to let someone travel with you. I'm better now, and fully capable of getting to the new headquarters on my own. I just want to know that in leaving you to your own devices, I'm not condemning you to a slow and painful death."

Allen took a moment to respond. "Well, even I don't know what will happen" he admitted. "Still, this is something I need to figure out on my own, without the influence of the Order or the Noah to sway my decision."

It was the best answer he could give, what with his situation being what it was, she supposed. She could see why the kid had had such a positive effect on Kanda and, from what she could gather, the other people around him. He was pure in his intentions and followed his heart regardless of the consequences. With a nod of satisfaction, she smiled and said, "then we'll part here."

"If you're okay to travel on your own, I don't mind" he said. "I'll be in the square, performing, if you need me."

She nodded. After he left the room, she removed the long cotton shirt she'd been using as her sleeping clothes, and changed into what had become her everyday attire. A pair of black pants and a white button down made up the bulk of the ensemble, which Kai had accentuated by using a scarlet scarf as a belt. Finally, she pulled the knee-high black boots over the pants. They were slightly worn but all the more comfortable for it, though there was still the fact that Allen had acquired them through means he had refused to disclose. Kai was still convinced he had won them in another poker match.

"And to think I saw him as a gentleman" she laughed quietly to herself, pulling her infuriatingly long hair into a high ponytail. How Kanda and Lenalee managed was beyond her. As much as she wanted to hack the long locks from her head, however, her memories of being mistaken for a boy stayed her hand.

Then she felt it. A small disturbance went off in the back of her mind, like a tiny alarm sounding. The sensation had come to her often in the past few weeks, maybe at least once a day, but never with this amount of intensity. Yet, even as the tiny alarm rang out again, Kai was in no hurry to investigate, and only felt slight annoyance at the tiny twinge. the source of the miniature pulses was not unknown to her, and they were nowhere near the level of pain she had felt three months ago, while still trapped in the statue, so they did not concern her. All she wanted to do was turn off the troublesome reflex, which was pretty much impossible.

Despite her determination to ignore the tiny headaches, she could not help but succumb to their presence. Concern filled her as the discordant waves jostled even more. There wouldn't be much time left if she didn't intervene, but would that even be the right thing to do?

Maybe she shouldn't have offered to split with Allen. Traveling with him, no matter the risk, would give her the flexibility she needed that the Order wouldn't provide. Considering the proximity of the source of the pulse waves, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think Allen would be its intended target.

Shaking her head and sighing, Kai tugged on the long overcoat she acquired through her own means (mainly playing silly piano show tunes for the guests of the hotel) and headed out of the room. Allen had taken all of his belongings with him this time, and Kai thought it was safe to assume he wouldn't be coming back, so she bid farewell to the proprietor and returned the room key. Before exiting the lobby, however, she did a quick visible sweep of her surroundings. It had become clear a few days prior that someone was following Allen. However, as he had said repeatedly, there were so many people after him that investigating even one as persistent at this guy would be pointless. As of right now, it seemed that the stalker had scampered off to where Allen was now performing.

That was when Kai decided it was time for her to do some stalking herself. She was a proud member of the Kagesōsha, it's time she put her inbred stealth to good use. If Allen was constantly being chased by the Noah, then why not get some observation time in? After all, once she returned to the Order, Kai knew she too would be up against the Millennium Earl's clan. There was no harm in seeing how they behaved or the kind of power they possessed.

As she made her way down the moderately active side streets, she noticed a pair of familiar tattooed goons supporting their larger-than-life boss. Pulling her hood up so as not to be noticed, Kai adopted a leisurely pace and kept her ears open. Although her father had not permitted her to participate in Clan related combat, he had not been so overprotective as to forgo training her personally. Keeping your mouth shut, your body inconspicuous, and your eyes and ears open was the most basic skill taught to any assassin, and the best way to obtain information without resorting to theft or interrogation.

"Boss, you sure you're alright? Maybe we should get you to a doctor or something…" she heard the first man say.

"Yeah, Boss, you can barely stand" his partner agreed.

"I just need a few drinks, then I'll be just peachy" the Boss insisted, his head lolling and his speech slurred. "Still, what a looker that guy was, what a fucking looker. Wasn't he a looker boys? Damn fine animal, he was, I say."

"Yes, yes, Boss, he was an uncommonly good-looking young man" the first henchman said, sounding exasperated and bored. It seemed as though his employer had been rambling like this for some time.

"Still, Boss, I think it was best we didn't pursue him" the second henchman told him, his voice equally haggard. He hadn't given up like his partner, though, and appeared determined to reason the large man back into sobriety. "He did such a bad number on you."

Out of the corner of her eye, Kai inspected her ex-captor. His inked skin was littered with cuts and bruises, as if he'd been slammed into the ground repeatedly, and his nose was clearly broken. The swerve in his gait seemed influenced more by the pungent alcohol on his breath than his injuries, but it was doubtful he would have been able to walk on his own even above the influence. It was difficult to hide her smirk as smug amusement overcame her. It was typical Kanda handiwork, though by the looks of it, it seemed the Boss had been stupid enough to come at her old teammate repeatedly before finally being subdued. A pang of sympathy for the Mafioso almost ran through her when Kai remembered that this was the same man who had been desperate enough to bet her against a poker king. When she thought about that, she realized he really did deserve all that Kanda had given him.

Obviously he hadn't come to this place to beat up thugs from the district, but that still left Kai to wonder why he had shown up at all. It couldn't be a coincidence, not when she and Allen were in the same area. Considering he hadn't been trying to interrogate the mafia boss, and Allen had stumbled upon the man's "possession" quite on accident, it was highly doubtful that Kanda had come for her. That left Allen, and given that the boy had helped him and Alma escape the Order, it seemed likely that he'd want to return the favor.

So it was off to the square, but Kai didn't make it five steps before she heard the Mafioso and his grunts calling after her. At first, she worried they had somehow recognized her, but she soon discarded that theory when she remembered what Allen had told her. He hadn't really seen her in the statue, just her eye, and only when the liquid Innocence had started moving, which it hadn't until he had gotten the sculpture back to the hotel.

With a swift about-face, she managed to sidestep the first henchman as he reached for her arm. Taking care not to lower her hood, she simply cocked her head to one side and gave them a terse "is there something I can help you with?"

The man fidgeted nervously for several seconds, very red-faced while uttering half-formed words, before actually speaking coherently. Well, it was more like rambling, but at least she could understand him. "I'm sorry to bother you, miss, it's just that our boss wants to have a look at your face. He saw you pass and sent me to stop you before you were out of sight. I know it sounds strange, but…"

Kai held up a hand to silence him. "I've never seen your boss before, so I don't understand why my face would matter much to him. Now, if you don't mind, I must be going. I have some important business to take care of and I won't suffer from any delays."

"Such a refined way of speaking, a graceful way of walking!" Kai grimaced as the boss seemed to recover from his injuries and drunken state all at once. There was an unsettling glint in his eyes as he charged, crying "THERE MUST BE A PRETTY FACE TO GO WITH IT ALL!"

His arms sailed over her head as she ducked. Supporting herself on her hands, she trapped his thick wrists between her legs and heaved with all her weight. The flamboyantly dressed gangster when flying over her, slamming into the ground about a yard away. Following through to a kneeling position, Kai watched in amazement as the boss yet again rose to his feet, looking even more fervent than before. It was a second later that she realized her hood had fallen back.

"I KNEW IT!" the boss roared. "THERE HAD TO BE SOMETHING HIDDEN BENEATH THAT COAT!"

A swear left Kai's lips as she glared at the man in frustration. Skipping back a few steps, she broke into a sprint. There was a lamppost overhanging the street and, using one of the grunts' shoulders for leverage, she caught hold of the iron bar attaching the lamp to the post. Swinging forward, she planted her feet neatly against the boss's face, sending him sprawling backward and probably putting his nose in a worse condition than before. This time, the man was smart enough to stay down as she turned on her heel and walked away from his motionless form.

"Are all Easterners violent or something?" the henchmen groaned in unison, their shoulders slumping and expressions drooping. "That's the second one to knock out the boss in less than twenty-four hours."

They flinched as Kai locked her eyes on them. "Your boss should know better than to confront someone without gauging the kind of fight they'll give him" she said pointedly. "I told you I wouldn't suffer from any delays, anyway."

With that, she raised her hood again and continued on her way. This time, though, she kept to the rooftops. The city was easier to navigate from that vantage point and it was thus easier to find the square. After a few minutes of running on silent feet, she spotted Allen in the crowd near the port. There was still a bit of distance between her and the people, but the boy's brightly colored clown suit was hard to miss. Once she got closer, however, it was the figure in the light coat and black uniform that caught her attention.

He was sitting, hunched over and clutching his head, talking with a man in plain civilian's attire. Crouching against a steeple, Kai watched with a slight smile as the smaller man tried to force some sort of vial on his companion, which he rejected with no amount of subtlety. Whatever cracked up potion Johnny was trying to get him to take, Kanda knew from observation not to get taken in by his advertisements. It occurred to Kai to wonder as to why the tailor had abandoned his position in the Order's science division, but her curiosity was more struck by Kanda's wearing the Exorcist uniform. Its style had changed significantly from what she remembered, but there was no mistaking the black fabric and silver cross.

Kanda suddenly swiped at Johnny's hand, causing whatever concoction he was holding to go rolling down the crowed street. Kai watched as he chased after it, unaware of his surroundings until he came upon Allen's performance. He seemed to have know idea that the former-Exorcist was right in front of him, or if he did, he gave no indication that it was so. Allen, on the other hand, certainly recognized the tailor. He hastily held out his collection hat, which seemed to cause Johnny some sort of distress as he began searching his pockets. As Kanda came upon him, he communicated whatever the problem was to him, but her old teammate seemed preoccupied with the clown before him. Even from her place on the roof, Kai could feel his murderous aura flare.

"I feel the Fourteenth."

The eerie metallic voices of the Akuma rang out in the square, sending Kai to her feet. A black pool-like portal appeared in the ground, sending an enormous Akuma to the surface. In less than a moment, it had both Allen and a poor civilian girl in its mouth.

A brief moment of hesitation passed over her as she took her stance. Since awakening and re-synchronizing with her Innocence, Kai had yet to actually summon the knew weapon. According to Allen, she would have more control over her equipment-type weapon and it would react to her thoughts and emotions much like a basic parasitic-type. Swallowing her nerves, she stretched out her hand, and spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Innocence, activate."

The standard longbow that she had been expecting, with its single-arched body, did not appear. What she summoned to her hand was something she had only seen in hands of some of Japan's best archers. Its limbs were of a black metal which bent just as supplely as wood when she pulled against the dark red string, which was thicker and more securely strung than she was used to. Instead of one continuous arc, the limps curved back somewhat over the grip, creating what she believe was called a recurve. Slightly disconcerted by the bow's shape, and feeling a little unworthy of its magnificence, Kai nevertheless summoned an arrow to her hand. As she did so, the bangles on her wrists shifted into a pair of elongated bracers. The lower ends of these wrapped fully around her forearms, while the rest extended up only the inside of her arms with bands to secure them against her biceps.

The familiar black-red fire of Cerberus flickered at the end of the arrow as she took aim, ready to snipe the new group of Akuma that had surfaced in the area. However, even as she set her sights on a particularly vulnerable target, the horde vanished, off to pursue the white-haired boy retreating among the rooftops on the other side of the square. Kai lowered her bow and stood, but did not let the weapon fade from her hand. Kanda was hot on the boy's heels, Johnny not far behind, but she still felt it would be better to follow at a distance and keep an eye on things. She couldn't explain it, but instinct told her it was the right thing to do.

To her consternation, she lost them shortly after nightfall. After a moment of frustration she decided to just accept defeat and try again in the morning. Kanda was definitely still in the city, and he would be there tomorrow. Right now, what she needed was a good night's sleep and a fresh start in the morning. So, while keeping her eyes peeled for her teammate, she walked down the nearly deserted side streets until she came across a small cozy hotel near the port's shopping district. The owner was a kind elderly woman, and was even generous enough to offer her a discount on the room.

"You look a little down on your luck, dear, think nothing of it" she said when Kai expressed her surprised gratitude. "Besides, it's not often we get such exotic tenants in our rooms. I mean exotic in the proper sense, not those hussies down in the red light who think they're exotic."

Kai gave her a polite laugh. "Thank you again, but, really, I can pay full price" she insisted. On top of the small amount of money she'd made off her piano skills, Allen had left her half the winnings he'd taken from the Mafioso the night he'd "won" her in the poker match. It was substantial amount, more than enough to get back to the Order and still have plenty to save away. The woman was probably being misled by Kai's clothes, for, in spite of Allen's generosity in procuring them, they were in a rather shabby state. She suspected she'd have looked like she'd only just stepped off an immigration boat if she wasn't so adamant about keeping herself neat.

"No, no, dear" the woman replied, shaking her hand dismissively. "Honestly, I love doing people favors, and, like I said, you look like you could use some kindness. It must be hard coming to live in a foreign country and such a young age, but I must say your English is impeccable."

Apparently her cleanliness did not make up for the appearance of her clothes "Misses Carter…"

"Please, dear, call me Linda."

"Linda, to tell you the truth, I've been living in England for over ten years" she explained. "I've been traveling a lot lately, though, which is why I don't look my best. Still, that doesn't change that I have the sufficient funds to pay you in full. If it is not too bold of me to say, I don't like leaving any sort of debt in my wake."

Linda blinked, then started laughing. "Oh, my dear, you don't have to make up stories just because you don't want to fall into debt. Trust me, I take in foreigners all the time, though you're the first to come all the way from China."

"I'm Japanese…"

"Nonsense, that country's been isolated for decades."

"There are ways out."

"Then you've been through enough without having to worry about money" Linda said with a tut. She took the key out of Kai's hand and opened the door to her room for her. "There, relax and rest, I'll have Earl bring up a hot meal for you soon. Don't worry about a debt, I love doing charity work."

The owner left after that and Kai sank down onto the bed with a groan. First thing in the morning she was going to a tailor and getting some new, better fitted clothes. Allen had said they were in Brighton, and if she remembered rightly, not far from the pier was a tailor's shop owned by a supporter of the Black Order. The shop owner's daughter did owe her a favor, but she wouldn't have to haggle for anything with the money Allen had left her. It wouldn't take too long for her to get fitted, she was sure, so she would still have time to look for Kanda and Johnny afterward.

Determined, Kai awoke early the next morning and got ready to set about her plans for the day. Once she was clean and dressed, she went down to the lobby, her intention to get breakfast along the way and avoid Linda and Earl altogether. It was her great misfortune, however, that the owner and her husband were already up and about when she got downstairs, and she was sat down to a hearty meal of cold porridge and stale biscuits. Out of the corner of her eye, Kai noticed that several other customers were eating warm eggs and fluffy pastries. There customers were all nicely dressed, however, and those clad similarly to she were enjoying the same mush that graced her plate. Last night's dinner had yielded similar results.

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful, Linda" Kai said, not missing the wary look the owner gave her, warning her not to complain about the difference in the quality of her food. Lucky for her, that wasn't Kai's problem. "but I don't usually eat first thing in the morning." She got to her feet. "If you could donate this to a more needy customer, I'd be much obliged."

This was obviously not what Linda had been expecting to hear, but luckily it kept the perky smile on her face. "Why of course, dear, but may I ask why you do not usually eat first thing? Is it a Japanese custom?"

"It's more of a personal habit" Kai replied. Normally she would meditate, then go train until she had worked up an appetite. But she was not at the Order now, and there was no point in hunting down Akuma when she needed to get stuff done. "I have some things to take care of, but I'll be back later this evening, if all goes well. Shall I put down the payment for the room now, or would you prefer to charge me at the end of my stay?"

"I'll charge you at the end, dear" Linda said. There was an underlying note of wariness in her voice, as if she was trying but could not get a good hold on what game her "exotic" customer was playing. This was made even more evident when she asked. "Why kind of errands, dear? Perhaps I can give you some suggestions as to where you can go."

Kai shook her head. "Thank you, but I know where I'm going" she said. "I'll just be purchasing some new clothes at a nearby shop, then I'm meeting up with an old friend who's also staying in the city."

"Oh, well have fun, dear."

"Thank you, Linda" Kai replied, maintaining her sweet smile all the way out the door. Once she was in the street, however, she dropped the act of pleasantry. It was obvious that Linda played up the whole generosity act to put down immigrants, ready to guilt-trip them if they complained about food or lodgings. She clearly looked at poor foreigners as lesser beings, but Kai didn't care, she knew how to deal with people like her. The woman would be getting quite the wake-up call when she returned that evening. Linda would receive the whole Kirihara experience, and Kai would have no regrets in giving it to her. It served her right for trying to fool a born assassin.

The shop she was looking for was only about a five minute walk away, but when she reached it she noticed with mild surprise that the name had been changed. What had once been known as Madame Frederick's Women's Emporium, was now Natalie and Fin's, with a sign proclaiming, "dress shop, suit shop, haberdashery, and more! Our top-of-the-line tailors are here for all your high-fashion needs." What was more, the shop was already crowded with people, along with several young workers who were going at their business with bright smiles and high spirits. Overall, the once dignified and rather subdued dress shop for older women was now a happy place for all ages.

"Well done, Natalie" Kai said to herself as she watched her blonde friend weave gracefully through her customers. Finnian, Natalie's former sweetheart and, apparently, current husband, was also among the throng, grinning broadly as he talked up the merchandise to the more frugal buyers. His tousled flaming red hair was a nostalgic sight, but he had really grown from the shy lanky kid she'd met nearly four years ago.

It had happened like this: shortly before the mission that would take her out from battle, and after a particularly lengthy and strenuous mission, Marshal Tiedoll had their team stop in Brighton for a bit of scenery before heading back to headquarters. Kai, whose hair had still been cropped in a rather military-like fashion, and whose body had yet to develop any sort of femininity at the time, had decided to ditch Kanda, with whom she had been arguing, and wander aimless for a while. After about ten minutes into her walk, she heard voices, and, being as curious as any child her age, she went to investigate. What she found was a very distressed Natalie shaking her head vehemently at a rich boy who was with her. From what she could hear from her hiding place, Kai gleaned that the boy was trying to convince Natalie to enter into a betrothal with him.

That was when Finnian had walked up beside her. "I hate him, he's always making her cry" he'd said, his beloved fiddle tucked neatly under his arm. "All I can do is play for her, I don't have the money he'll inherit, but at least I can make her smile."

Kai had raised an eyebrow at that. "Isn't that enough?" she'd asked. "A friend once told me that all you need to make a happy life for someone is to make them smile." This friend she was referring to was, in fact, Marie, who had explained the difficult intricacies of romance to her when she came to him with a question about a book she'd been reading.

Finnian had shrugged in response. "Doesn't matter, if he thinks he's still got a chance, he'll keep coming after her" he said sulkily. "I can't stand up to him, not if I don't want Natalie to get hurt too."

"Maybe I can help" Kai had suggested. "Can you signal to her to just go along with whatever I say?"

"I guess so."

"Good, just follow my lead." Exiting the alley, Kai sauntered up to Natalie and her would-be fiancée, knowing full-well she'd be mistaken as a boy. In the same manner she'd seen gentleman in the street do, she took Natalie's hand and kissed in gently. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Miss Natalie."

Natalie, blinked, but Finnian had gotten the message to her, and she smiled and curtsied. "Likewise, Young Master."

"Oh, Natalie, how many times to I have to tell you? Please, call me Kaito. We are to be betrothed, so what's to stop us from using our given names?"

"My apologies, Master Kaito " Natalie said, faking a flirtatious giggle. "So the arrangements have been made, have they?"

"Indeed." Kai turned to the rich boy, whose name she later found out to be Seth Blackwell. "Oh, do you have business with my fiancée?"

Blackwell had gone a sickly pale when he saw how much taller she was than he. "N-no, I'm sorry I bothered you" he'd said, then stalked off into the alley.

Their five-minute courtship ended there, and Finnian came over to comfort a now very confused Natalie. Kai had explained, shocking them with the news that she was actually a girl, then they'd gone to have lunch together. What started as a small sense of curiosity turned into a fast friendship in the course of an hour. Even better was the fact that Natalie's mother was an Order supporter, so Kai didn't have to hide that she was an Exorcist. She wondered vaguely when Finnian and Natalie had taken the next step, and also when the shop had changed hands. As much as she wanted to ask these questions, however, Kai knew she couldn't just waltz in dressed the way she was.

Then came her solution, and it was none other than Seth Blackwell. Though he had matured physically, he hadn't changed much personality-wise since their last encounter. He still walked with the same arrogance he had displayed then, and was still running with other high-society youths. The two men he walked with weren't quite what Kai was expecting, but there was no doubt they belonged to upper class like herself. They weren't exactly obstacles, so Kai raised her hood and did not hesitate to stop Blackwell in his tracks.

"I don't give to beggars" were the first words out of his mouth. "Move along." Meanwhile, his comrades seemed content to observe, the taller one looking a little more interested than his counterpart.

"I don't want money" Wren said, slightly insulted. Her clothes weren't _that_ disheveled. "I'd like you to pass on a message to Misses Andrews."

Blackwell scowled at the name. "Why and what?"

"Master Kaito is waiting at the back door, and we can skip over the why" Kai said coolly, then walked away to the designated spot, satisfied to see the disgruntled gentleman doing as she'd requested as she rounded the corner. A few minutes later, a very excited Natalie was throwing open the door and practically tackling her to the ground.

"Good lord, what are you wearing?" she cried, finally holding her out at arm's length. "Oh, Kai, I thought I'd taught you better."

"Nice to see you too, Natalie" Kai said with a laugh. "I've had a bit of a bad run recently, as you can see." She gestured to her clothes. "Do you think you can help me? I have cash on me to pay for everything."

"Do I think I can help you" Natalie scoffed. "I can do it free of charge! After all, you did help me escape Master Blackwell, though I do not appreciate you sending him in to tell me you were here. Next time, just walk in the front door, I don't give a damn what you're wearing."

Before Kai could respond, Natalie had pulled her into a dressing room, torn off her dusty duster and was inspecting her again. A wide smile stretched across her face as her eyes lit up with ideas. "Oh, the things I could do with this body" she said, sounding almost ravenous. "Kai, do you even realize what you have now? You could get your pick of the single men out there with the proper clothes. Then again, I don't suppose you're in the market for fashion right now, are you? I also can't get the image of Young Master Kaito out of my head."

Kai laughed. "Natalie, please, you're embarrassing me" she said. "You're right, though, I'm not really one for dresses, but if you have any ideas for a battle-ready outfit, I'd be interested to hear them. Something with a feminine touch would help me blend in with the crowd too, if you think you can manage it."

"Oh, please, Kai, I can do whatever you ask, especially now that I have Fin to help me" Natalie said happily. "I think I know just the thing too, be right back!"

About five minutes later, she was back with a pair of fitted pants, knee-high boots in much sturdier shape than Kai's current ones, a button down with straps on the shoulders, and a long mass of fabric that turned out to be a wrap-around skirt. Natalie held each one up to her in turn, then gave a nod of satisfaction. "Perfect, I did eyeball it right." She laid them out individually, then began explaining her method in choosing the ensemble. "I don't need to tell you what the boots are for, but I can tell you they have great traction and are the sturdiest you can find in England; the same goes for the pants, though they're probably not as durable as your Exorcist uniform. Anyway, let's move on to the good stuff."

She held up the shirt. "I know you prefer sleeveless, but you can't blend in if you walk around like that, so if you just give this a little tug," she pulled the sleeve down with a sharp yank, and the snap-on strap dislodged, removing the sleeve in its entirety. "voila!"

"That's amazing, I didn't know you had that kind of craftsmanship in you" Kai said, slipping the shirt and pants on while Natalie wrestled with showing her the skirt and the mysteries it was sure to hold. "Wow, these are light, and flexible" she added suddenly, noting the feel of the slacks.

"Finnian came up with the shirt's construction, but I found the material for the pants" Natalie said proudly. "Now this baby is going to be your best friend. Lift up your arms." Kai did as she was told, watching as the seamstress wrapped the fabric around her torso. With a solid snapping sound, the high-wasted skirt locked into place, falling just past Wren's knees. If she pulled at the left side, the skirt would easily come off for battle, but the seam was impossible to see without knowing it was there. To the public, she would look like a normal young well-off woman, but if the need arose, she could easily become the Exorcist she was. It was fitting that the entire ensemble was black, with the exception of the white blouse that now looked like it was part of a dress.

"And here's a new duster for you, this one is more fitted and also has a more feminine cut" Natalie said, handing the coat to her. "and this has an entire fully functional wardrobe." She held out a black leather suitcase. "I figured less is more for you, especially since you'll usually be in uniform, so there's only about eight outfits in there for you to mix and match. They're a lot like what you're wearing underneath right now, but I threw in some tops that pay homage to the east, if you get my meaning. That skirt's one of a kind, though, so don't lose it."

Kai smiled. "You're amazing, Natalie" she said. "You and Finnian should really think about joining us for real. The way we Exorcists go through uniforms, I'm sure our tailor would appreciate the support." She took out the draw-string purse which she'd been using to hold the money Allen had left her. "How much do I owe you? Or would you rather send the bill to the Order?"

Natalie shook her head. "You're only repaying me in one way, and that's this!"

Pushing Kai out of the dressing room, the seamstress led the confused Exorcist through the throng of customers, among which she saw Blackwell and his walking companions. As they went, Natalie called, "Fin! Get your butt over here and say hello to our old friend!"

"Hey, you!" Finnian leapt over the sales counter and spun Kai around in his arms. After setting her down again, he winked and said, "It's been ages! What brings you to Brighton this time, Master Kaito?"

"WHAT?" Blackwell cried, gesturing flamboyantly in her direction. "You're… but you're a…"

"I guess growing my hair out did make all the difference" Kai said innocently. "Really, though, you should have been able to tell. Natalie and Finnian realize almost immediately."

"No we didn't…" Finnian whispered in her ear. "Ah! Point taken!" he choked after Natalie stomped on his foot.

The three of them journeyed toward the back door, where they could say their goodbyes in private. With a smile, Kai took both of them with another wave of nostalgia. "Well, I'd better take my leave" she said, embracing them. "You're pretty busy and I have some things of my own to take care of." Pulling them a little closer, she added in a hushed tone, "seriously, think about what I said. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you because of your support."

"We will, but you take care, Kai" Natalie said gently. "Your life is in far more danger than ours, so watch your back."

"Will do."

Once she was back on the main road, Kai took a moment to regroup. Kanda had been heading further away from the port the last she'd seen him, but by now his position could have completely changed. From the little pinpricks she was getting, she could tell he wasn't too far, but his exact location still eluded her. All she could tell was that he was agitated –and irritated, but that was never anything to worry about in particular.

"Hey!"

Blackwell and his walking companions were approaching her. Putting on her most innocent smile, Kai asked, "is something wrong, Master Blackwell?"

"Something bloody well _is_ wrong!" he said indignantly. "Where do you get off dressing like a boy and faking out people like me? Are you some sort of Robin Hood vigilante out to save girls from perfectly sensible betrothals?"

She couldn't help but laugh at his ludicrous accusation. "Hardly, I just don't like seeing my fellow members of the female persuasion get hurt" she said. "As for my appearance at the time, I assure you it was not done for your sake."

"They why…"

"Please, Seth, leave the girl alone, she was just helping a friend" the taller of his comrades said. He leaned forward, then kissed Kai's hand with the gentlest of gestures. Though she was flattered, inwardly she was glad he couldn't see the cross-shaped markings in her fingers, as they were so small at her rings cast shadows over them. The realization made it easier to concentrate on the man's voice as he said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Tyki Mikk." He gestured to the third man. "This is my companion, Wisely."

Wisely nodded, then gave her a roguish grin. "I take it your real name isn't Kaito" he said amusedly.

Unsure of why she felt so wary of these two now that she was actually talking to them, Kai shook her head. "It's Ayame, Takeda Ayame. Well, Ayame Takeda if you westernize it" she lied.

"What a pretty name" Tyki said with interest. "What's it's origin? Or, rather, what are your origins, Miss Takeda?"

"Shikoku, it's one of Japan's southern islands" she lied again. Whatever the reason might be, she felt it best not to tell either of these men the truth, especially the fact that she was an Exorcist. Right now, all she wanted to do was answer their questions, then get on with her search, but her response only seemed to draw their attention to her.

"Japan, now that's a long way away" Wisely said. "I thought the country was closed to the outside world, how did you wind up here?"

"Mostly luck, really" she said dismissively. "There are several black trade port areas throughout the islands, where those who are stealthy enough are able to trade with outsiders. Those of us with sufficient funds can usually barter passage west as well. My parents passed away some time ago, and my brother inherited everything, so he decided to explore the world. Because I was so young at the time, he took me along."

"Is your brother here?" Tyki asked curiously.

She shook her head. "I'm afraid he too passed on, rather recently too, but I've made my own way in his absence. He left me the money he'd made, along with what was left of his inheritance. But I don't want to squander it, so I'm just looking for a place to work."

Tyki smiled, and it was at this time she noticed his eyes were wandering her face, taking in every feature. "Well, Miss Takeda, if you're ever down in Lisbon, I'm sure my brother could set you up with something."

So he was from Portugal, but Kai didn't have time to dwell on that. "Careful what you offer, Master Mikk, I just might take you up on that" she said playfully. "If you'll excuse me, I really must be on my way." She gave Blackwell a pointed look. "I hope you have set your eyes on more attainable prey, Master Blackwell" she said, to which he gave a derisive snort, then she turned back to Mikk and Wisely. "It truly was a pleasure meeting you, Master Wisely, Master Mikk. I wish you a pleasant day, and, who knows, perhaps we will run into each other again, though the next time will probably be in Lisbon."

Tyki Mikk laughed. "Come now, what's the rush?" he said. "The three of us were going to get an early lunch at the Portside Country Club, which is really not too far from here. Why not come along? Frankly, you seem a little too high society for me to peg you as a working girl, so why not make some acquaintances? You could get a far better position as, say, a governess or tutor. It all comes down to mixing in the right circles. In fact, I believe there's a rather renowned cultural professor who frequents the Club. He's from Cambridge, and I'm sure he'd love to take you on as an apprentice, not to mention a resource on Japanese culture."

"Well, if she's coming along, I'm parting with you here" Blackwell said stiffly. "I have no desire to take meals with a woman who has no hesitance in questioning a man's honor."

"That works out wonderfully, then, since I have no desire to take my meals with a man who can't forgive a silly childhood prank" Kai replied coolly, but then she sighed. "Even so, I do not wish to break up your gentleman's party."

"Nonsense, I insist!" Mikk cried taking her suitcase and handing it to Wisely, who took it without complaint. He helped her into her coat, then proceeded to thread her arm through his own. "I, for one, am quite in agreement with you. If young Master Blackwell can't take a joke, then he's not my ideal party guest either. So, come, let us enjoy our lunch without the wet blanket. I honestly can't stand to see a man treat a woman so crassly, much less when he's supposed to be a gentleman like myself."

Before she could protest, Kai was being led off in the direction of the country club, walking side-by-side with this Tyki Mikk. Wisely walked a few paces behind them, though she did see him throw a smug smirk in the direction of a completely stunned Blackwell. She felt a little bad, Tyki Mikk seemed to be of higher status than Blackwell, so the youth was probably doing some gentleman's social-climbing when she came along. Now she'd cheated him out of lunch opportunity, one in which she really did not want to take part in the first place.

They entered the club, and the manager, who seemed to know Mikk, showed them to a private table immediately. Wisely left her suitcase with them, then said he wasn't hungry and was going for a walk, leaving Kai and Mikk alone.

"Don't feel guilty, I was merely being polite with the Blackwell boy when I invited him to lunch" Mikk told her, having guessed what she was thinking earlier. "You see, he stopped me on the street, and my status lead him to kiss up to me a bit. I don't know how it goes in the East, but perhaps you're not unfamiliar with the concept of social-climbing."

Kai shook her head. "I'm not unfamiliar with it, but I lived in a rather strict samurai province, where that type of thing was more likely to knock you down than pick you up" she said, though this time it wasn't so much a lie as a masked truth. Social-climbing through simpering behavior was not tolerated at any degree within the Kagesōsha hierarchy, especially within the main residence. One gained rank through displays of loyalty and strength, that was the only way to be recognized by the head, be it her father or her late mother.

"I see" Tyki said, seeming pensive. "So, was I right?"

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Were you raised in a samurai household over there?"

This time, it was her turn to laugh. "Believe me, if I had been born into any one of the samurai families, I would not be here" she told him. "My brother would not have been open to leaving if we had an entire contingent of soldiers depending on him. No, I was raised under different circumstances."

"And what were those circumstances?" he pressed.

Now she hesitated, wondering what on earth she could say to account for her mannerisms, yet not reveal the truth, all while sounding as convincing as she had up until now. For a few moments, she feigned reluctance, hoping Mikk would not pick up on her true feelings. Then, when she could not delay, she gave in and decided to go with part of the truth. "I was raised in a shrine, of which I was later to become the head priestess." The second half of that statement was the lie; she was never going to become the head of Ise Shrine. "However, during the same incident that killed my parents, the shrine was burned to the ground."

"That's awful" Mikk said sympathetically. "are all priestesses raised to be so refined, though? Here, nuns aren't really part of the upper class."

"All Shinto high priests or priestesses are known to have a direct connection with the spirits of nature, so the public views them with just as much regard as the samurai who protect there lands" Kai explained. "My particular gift was being able to have contact with the spirits of the moon, who blessed me with the ability to tend to the sick and injured."

"You could make a living as a doctor here, then" Mikk suggested. "I'm sure there are plenty of people looking for a live-in physician, and they'd pay better than any hospital."

"Only if they're interested in natural remedies would they want me" Kai told him. "I have my own way of doing things, and I nearly always get results, but I don't know how marketable I would be to a western employer. You all seem to prefer the more contemporary methods."

Finally, Mikk seemed stumped. "Well, like I said, if you're ever in Lisbon, stop by. My sister-in-law has a poor constitution, and the governess is usually so busy with my niece that she doesn't have time to properly care for the poor woman. Your abilities would be much appreciated, I'm sure."

Kai nodded. "Again, thank you for the offer" she said. "Now, may I ask you a few questions, Lord Mikk?"

"Why of course!"

"You called Blackwell 'boy' earlier" she said. "He's about two years older than me, you know, a full adult by most people's standards. I know it's rude to inquire into another's age, but I can't help but wonder. You look so young, no older than my brother would be if he were still alive."

He laughed again. "Well, I must say I'm shocked to hear how young you really are" he said. "I thought you were Blackwell's age, maybe older, given how maturely you speak." The waiter interrupted them briefly to pour them some wine, which Kai politely refused, but Mikk accepted with a curt nod. After taking a sip from his glass, he went on, "I'm twenty-six, Miss Takeda, which puts you at, what, nineteen?"

"Eighteen" she corrected, thinking of Kanda, who would now be the age Mikk had just guessed for her. "Really, though, I never would have guessed you were eight years my senior. You don't look much older than twenty-two or twenty-three." She laughed slightly at the thought. "Forgive me for saying it, but you must be quite the catch with the young ladies in your circle."

"I don't mind you saying it at all" Mikk said. "Any other questions?"

"You said you have a brother, I take it he's older?"

"Yes, though Sheryl doesn't like to talk about his age" he replied. "His formal title is Minister Camelot of Portugal's New Province of Estremadura. I decided to switch to our mother's surname when he took office, because I did not want to be influence by the bureaucrats he works with. My niece, Rhode, is his pride and joy, though to be honest she's a bit of a handful."

That was why she'd been so wary of him. Allen had named only one of the Noah when they'd discussed them in the hotel. Rhode was the first one he'd met, and she had left one of the most lasting impressions on him. The man sitting across the table from her, sipping his wine like it was the most natural thing in the world, was part of the clan that had been responsible for so much damage to the Order. For all she knew, he could have been the one who had killed Daisya, her fellow apprentice and a good friend.

Disgust and hatred welled up inside her at the thought of having lunch with this murderer, but she kept herself in check. If she let her emotions get the better of her, she could very easily tip him off to the fact that she was an Exorcist, something it seemed he had not realized yet. As she was now, she was not confident she could face the high-level Akuma she'd been told about, let alone someone as power as a Noah clansmen. The best thing to do was withdraw, to get away from this man and find Kanda before Mikk or Wisely, who was probably a Noah too, had a chance to figure out the truth.

Pain suddenly shot through both her forearms, and it required a great deal of effort not to double over from the sudden assault. She gripped her arms tightly in hopes of dulling just a bit of the pain, for it was far too late to hide her discomfort from Mikk, who was leaning forward now.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Y-yes" she forced out. "Priestess thing, don't pay attention to it."

"I didn't realize being a priestess was such a hassle." At least she could still lie convincingly enough. Getting to her feet, she tugged on her coat and grabbed her suitcase.

"I'm sorry, but I need to deal with this elsewhere, and by myself" she said. "I communicate best with the spirits best when in private. Thank you for the meal, but I have to go."

Then she was out the door and sprinting down the road.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **Another long chapter. I'm hoping to keep this streak up for most, if not all, the chapters from here on out. If you haven't noticed by now, I'm trying to use varying POVs for this story. Were this an original fiction, I would never, ever do something like this, as I hate dealing with too many different character views, even with a third person narrator (best example of a book I'm have trouble finishing because of this is Inheritance -book 4 of the Eragon series). But this is a fanfiction of an anime, and in most series you have a lot of shifting POVs, so this is best way to write for that kind of fandom.

Anyway, thanks for the support, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! Reviews are always appreciated.

**Chapter 4: That Other Person**

"Uh, those are for repairs, they're not for sale." Kanda said disconcertedly, thrown off by the priest's sudden appearance. The pain in his arms was becoming more and more intense, he just wanted to man to go away so he could come up with a way to delay his transformation into a Fallen One. Judging by the rapid increase in sharpshooting pain, he didn't have much time at all to come up with a solution. And, damn it all, why was that man still here? Worse, why was he staring at him like that? It was annoying, not to mention unnerving.

Then, out of nowhere, the priest grabbed his wrist and pulled back his glove, revealing the raised and pulsing veins around the wounds marking him as a Crystal type. He examined them for a while, then shook his head. "My apologies, it seems my presence is affecting you. Your innocence knows what I am, and wants to be nearer to me because of it." He ran his hand over the mark, and as he did so, the pain and irritation faded away. "There, that's better. Rest assured, your dedication to this war has not gone unnoticed by the Heart, you are not in danger of becoming a Fallen One just yet. However, I would suggest a swift return to the Order. You will gain nothing from chaperoning the Fourteenth."

Rather than calm down, as the priest, of whatever the hell he was, seemed to be implying, Kanda leapt to his feet and drew Mugen from its sheath. Aiming the point of his blade at the man's throat, he lowered his voice to its most threatening growl. "Who, and what, the hell are you? You're clearly not an Exorcist, I can sense that much, but you're not an Akuma either. Answer me, what are you? Are you a Noah, or another one of Central's experiments?"

The priest laughed. "Central could never create such a being as myself" he said, his overall aura changing, becoming raw, more threatening. "I was hand-picked by the Heart itself, and I will not fail to do its bidding." He stretched out his hand, palm aimed outward toward Kanda's face. "You are only going to be an obstacle for me, so I apologize, but I must remove you from this battle. When you awake, you can return to the Order. Take the Exorcist approaching us with you to the two others who are also in the city, then all of you must return. The cube's fragments must be retrieved so that this war can come to an end."

Kanda tightened his grip on Mugen's hilt. "What are you-AH!"

A piercing note shot through his skull like a bullet, then his vision blurred, the ground pitched beneath his feet, and the street rushed up to meet him. In the last moment before he lost consciousness, however, the priest, or whatever it was that had done this to him, spoke to him again.

"There are two other Exorcists waiting for you in Portugal. Take you fellow Exorcists and rescue them from the Noah's grasp before it is too late. The Heart will mourn if you do not succeed."

Then his consciousness faded, and he hung in a black haze. After a long while like this, he heard someone call out his name. It was a woman's voice, one unfamiliar to him, but somehow he felt like he knew whoever was speaking to him. He didn't have much time to dwell on it, for a vague sensation of drifting upward, as if through water, had come over him.

"For goodness sake, wake up already, Kanda!"

"OW!" In his confusion after being slapped awake, Kanda toppled off the edge of the bed, and tumbled to the floor still tangled in the blankets. After taking the time to extricate himself, he came to the horrible realization that his boots, gloves, coat, and, most importantly, Mugen, were all missing from his personage. Suddenly frantic, he whipped his head around to look for them, and was relieved when he saw Mugen placed neatly on top of a bureau across the room along with his gloves. His boots were standing by the door, and he could see his coat hanging in the closet, the door of which was slightly ajar.

"Well, that was certainly an entertaining performance." The voice, the one he had heard while unconscious spoke out from the other side of the bed. He scrambled to his feet, leaping up to find a young woman sitting in an armchair by the window. She was casually in her tone, but an oddly familiar smirk ghosted across her lips. Her long black hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and she was dressed in a white button down and black slacks, the ends of which were concealed by her boots. Though she had her eyes focused on the book in her hands, Kanda could not, under any circumstances, fail to recognize that iridescent grey.

Cautiously, he moved around the first of the two beds and sat down on it, all while keeping his eyes on the woman. If she was who he thought she was, he was in a whole lot more trouble than he'd originally thought. Still, he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. Would it honestly have killed Kai to tell him he had a twin sister? He knew his teammate had had an older brother, but forgetting to mention his sister seemed like a huge lapse in memory. Kanda wondered if the damn brat had done it to him on purpose; not that he could really do anything about. Kai had been dead for over three years now.

If this woman was anything like her brother, he would have to be cautious, especially with Kai's warning echoing in the back of his head. He _had_ gone to Japan without him, but he never thought once he'd be tracked down by Kai's family after one brief visit. What kind of family had the guy come from, anyway, a ninja clan? This kind of behavior didn't suit a family of Shrine-keepers, that was for sure.

"You're from the Kirihara family, aren't you?" he asked, choosing his words with care. In an attempt to promote neutrality between them, he spoke in their native tongue.

The woman looked up at him this time, raising an eyebrow as her lips dipped in a frown. Something passed beneath her eyes, as if she were making some sort of decision, but it was gone almost instantaneously. When she spoke, it was in a similar tone of caution.

"Yes" she told him, also in Japanese. "You're Kanda Yū, are you not?"

"Yes, but how do you know me?" he asked. "Are you Kai's sister?"

To his surprise, she dropped her head and groaned. "I can't do this, it's just too pathetic" she said, then locked eyes with him again. "Honestly, Kanda, have you still not figured it out? Do I really have to tell you?"

He blinked. "Well, apparently, considering I have no clue what the hell you're talking about" he said, not caring that his irritation and coarseness had come back so quickly. He was who-knows-where with some woman who was acting like she knew him. If anyone had a right to be completely confused, it was him, but this woman was acting like he was some sort of idiot! Where the hell did she get off treating him as an inferior? It wasn't as if he could read her mind.

She was shaking her head in bewilderment. "Honestly, I don't even know why I bother with you" she sighed. "You're my teammate, we fought together for seven years, and yet you never figured out I was a girl? Didn't Marie tell you, or Lenalee, or anyone else for that matter?"

His jaw dropped, and the desire to reject her words filled him immediately. There was no way she could be Kai, and no way Kai could have been a girl either. The last time he saw Kai he was as flat as Kanda was now, and, though he had hated to admit it at the time, even taller and lankier than he had been when they were still fighting together. This woman, with her lean, lithe figure and long black hair, there was no way she could be his old teammate. No matter how familiar she looked, no matter how much she sounded and acted like the boy from his memories, no matter how identical that habit of pointedly raising her eyebrow was, he would under any circumstance admit that…

Aw, hell, he really was a moron.

"You've got to be kidding me" he groaned, running a hand over his face. "You really are Kai, aren't you?"

"Surprised?" Even her laugh was the same.

"Well, yeah, a little" he said defensively. "I mean, I thought you were dead, and… male."

Kai shook her head again, this time in amusement. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want to be treated differently on the battlefield. I was the only girl in Marshall Tiedoll's platoon at the time, I just wanted to fit in, especially with Daisya around. Still, I can't believe you never figured it out, the Marshall figured it out immediately, and Marie and everyone else realized the truth within my first year as an Exorcist." She crossed her arms. "Only you never reached that fact, it seems."

He shrugged. "I wasn't exactly in a position to care about that sort of thing" he said. "Anyway, I have some questions of my own I'd like answered." He leaned back, supporting himself on his hands. "How are you alive, and how come it took you this long to make that apparent?"

"Back during the mission, I used my maximum invocation, even though my synchronization rate was only eighty-five percent" she told him. "It did the trick, but a dune collapsed just as I was getting the backlash from overstepping my limits with the Innocence. I guess the heat from my attacks turned the sand to glass and my Innocence did the rest." Drawing her knees up to her chest, she continued, "I was in a coma, but I had a strange sense of awareness at the same time, as if the Innocence was pouring information into my brain. I also saw flashes of the outside world, but I think it was through your eyes."

That got his attention. "My eyes? Is our connection really that strong?"

She nodded. "Evidently, even in the state my body was, I could reach out to you subconsciously. I saw images of the Order, of your missions, but nothing ever lasted too long, and they always came with the sensation of pain. In hindsight, I'm pretty sure that I was receiving a signal every time you used your healing abilities." She gave him a very serious look. "I told you not to be so reckless with that. I made it clear that, because my blood was taken and altered without my permission, the seal would not act as though you were its true master."

Kanda snorted. "Yes, and you also told me you could change that, make it possible for me to live a relatively normal and healthy life, but I refused." He ran his fingers through his bangs. "Look, Kai, I didn't care about preserving my life then, nor do I particularly care about it now. Alma's dead, and so is the person I was trying to search for so desperately. My body is breaking down now, and my death will come soon enough. I don't want to draw it out, so I'll just keep fighting until I draw, and use up the rest of the seal's powers until that happens."

Kai was quiet for a long moment after he said that. Then, finally, she started speaking again, though this time she was more subdued. "Kanda, I know you've been a part of this war for far longer than anyone else, even the generals" she said. "Even so, wouldn't it be a bit of a bittersweet ending to die before you see its end? The time you've devoted to the Order is immense, and I can tell you're well cared for by our comrades. They're fighting to protect the world, but they're also fighting to protect each other, and, from what I've heard, you've fought to protect them as well. This time, though, you're not doing it because it's a job, I think you really care."

"I think you're being ridiculous" he said, though he neither felt nor sounded convinced by the statement. Shaking his head, he continued, "why does it sound like you know everything that's happened in your absence?"

"Allen Walker was the one who found me" she said, sending him into shock. "He told me everything."

"The sprout, eh?" he said, unable able to contain his being impressed. "And he told you I've changed?"

"Oh, he finds you irritating as hell," Kai told him bluntly, but she was giving him a warm smile at the same time. "but he cares, and from what he's told me about you, I think you really have changed, even if you don't see it yet."

Kanda was still skeptical, but he didn't have the energy to challenger her, so he asked, "where are you going with this? Are you offering up the same thing you did seven years ago?"

He wasn't surprised when she nodded, but what she said was not what he'd expected. "Yes, I will fully join the seal to your body, thereby giving you the chance to experience a full life and see this war through to the end. However, when this war does come to an end, and we are on the winning side, I will give you a choice. If by that time you have found a reason to keep living, I will let that be so. However, if you have not, I will kill you with my own hands. As reluctant as I am to commit to such an act, I feel I owe you for the suffering my powers have caused you." She gave him a wry smile. "It's times like this I'm glad to have my training. If you choose to die, I can at least make it painless."

"Hang on, I haven't even agreed to this yet" he said quickly. "Give me some time to think about it." In truth, it wasn't a bad offer, he'd win in end no matter what he chose. The problem was that he wasn't sure he wanted to see the end. What if Kai was wrong in assuming he'd choose to die? What if he did find something to live for, and so chose to live on? Could he handle that? Could he bring himself to take that risk? This world had been so cruel to him already, what if that thing he chose to live for turned out to be another illusion? If that thing slipped from his grasp, and he had already chosen to live on for it, there probably wouldn't be anyone there to kill him in Kai's place. That was what it all came down to: betting his life on something that might just end up hurting him again.

Kai seemed to understand at least part of his reasoning, for she nodded and said, "of course, it's your life we're talking about. However, I don't think I can give you more than a few weeks to decide. The seal is deteriorating rapidly, I can sense that now that we're sitting in the same room. You may only have six months without treatment."

Hearing his lifespan defined by an actual number was an odd experience, but he was not shocked or depressed by how short the timeframe was. He'd known full well it would be less than a year before his heart finally gave out, and he'd already come to terms with it. It was why he'd returned to the Order in the first place, to set everything right before he died. He wanted to see Marie one last time, give a final "piss off" to Levellier, atone for what he'd done to the sprout, then die with Mugen in his hand.

Damn it, the sprout! How could he have wasted so much time talking about living and dying when he still had no idea what had happened since he'd collapsed. He rounded on Kai, this time with urgency, and asked, "Tell me what happened after I passed out."

She nodded, picking up on his tone. "When I got to you, whatever battle had taken place was already over, and the street was deserted except for you" she said. "I found you lying against a building, unconscious but uninjured. The surrounding buildings had been all but leveled by the time I'd reached you. It looked much like the aftermath of a Marshall's battle against a horde of Akuma. All I could tell beyond the fact that it had been a ferocious fight is that it had ended in a draw. There were signs of both parties leaving the scene, exhausted but alive. One was carried away by a comrade."

So Allen and the priest had fought, then Johnny had taken the sprout and run. It was a better result than he'd expected, but it was frustrating to know that not only had the tailor and sprout escaped and left him behind, but he had been kept out of the entire fight. He supposed he was lucky Kai had found him so quickly, though. He had seen signs of the Noah lurking about, and having them happen upon him while he was unconscious would be a less than ideal situation. Although, he really did want to kick curly-hair's ass after their fight in Edo and his appearance at the North America Branch.

"What happened?" he looked up at Kai, who had asked the question, unaware he had fallen into such a pensive state. When she realized he hadn't really been paying attention, she repeated her question, adding, "you weren't hurt, so for the life of me I couldn't figure out why you'd passed out. I did feel a sharp pain in my arms before I managed to track you down, so I thought you had been in a fight, but all I found were those marks on your arms."

Kanda looked down at the crosses. "Oh, these are just a sign of being a…"

"Crystal-type, I know." She held up her hand, showing him the cross-shaped frame in her ring. "If you look hard enough, you'll see the same kind of wound."

He squinted. "So you've evolved too…" he said, then realized she just wanted him to get back on track. "I honestly have no idea what happened" he said. "Johnny started a repair service to make some money, then he and the sprout left to go check someone's printing press or something. After they'd gone, some priest came up and started looking through the objects Johnny was going to fix. Even though I told him they weren't for sale, he didn't leave, just started saying all this weird shit. He looked at my arms, which _were_ hurting like hell, then said his presence was 'effecting' me. A moment later, he'd fixed them, but then he started going on about the Heart and the Order. I could tell he wasn't an Exorcist or an Akuma, but he didn't strike me as one of the Noah either. Whatever he was, he knocked me out before the fight, saying I was and 'obstacle'."

"Do you think he's our enemy?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "I have no idea, he seemed more fixated on the sprout, and he was talking so much about the Heart that I doubt he intends to destroy it. Whatever he is, Innocence doesn't affect him, I could tell by the sensation I got when he took me out." He paused, remembering the priest's words to him just before he'd truly lost consciousness. "Kai, did you see any other Exorcists while you were looking for me? That guy said there were two more nearby. Ah, and he also told me where to go look for the stupid rabbit and Bookman."

Kai's somber expression now turned to one of confusion. "The Bookman and the rabbit? Are you sure you didn't hit your head a little too hard?"

Kanda rolled his eyes. "I mean Lavi and Bookman, two other exorcists who went missing three months ago" he said exasperatedly. This was going to be a pain, seeing as Kai didn't know anyone fighting now except for Lenalee, Marie, and the Marshalls. Lavi and Bookman had joined a year after she'd gone missing, and every new Exorcist had come after them. "Look, we have to find whoever else is in this city and tell them."

"A mission already, huh?" Kai said, this time looking excited. "I'm not sure how much help I'll, all things considered, but I'm up for anything right now. Though it was sheer coincidence, I'm glad we met before the others found you. I doubt going after the Order's number one fugitive would go over well with our superiors." She smiled. "I'll be your excuse, just say you heard a rumor about the Innocence, went to investigate, and found me."

"That's convenient, I suppose" Kanda said with a nod. "Going straight to get Lavi and Bookman without telling anyone might be a problem, thought."

His teammate frowned. "Since when have you ever cared about that sort of thing?" she asked him pointedly.

"Never" he replied simply, then he got to his feet. "Well, shall we go look for these other Exorcists and get this whole thing over with?"

Kai shook her head. "No, you and I both need to rest, and it would arouse suspicion if I brought them here. You see, I met the two Noah clansmen who were patrolling the port, though I don't think either of them realized I was an Exorcist. You said that this Lavi and Bookman were in Portugal, right? The one who insisted I have lunch with him told me he lives in Lisbon, where it should be easy enough to track him since he's the brother of a distinguished aristocrat. You'll need my skills if you hope to succeed with this."

"What are you, an assassin?" he asked sarcastically. "I've never been able to understand how you became such a good fighter anyway, now that I think of it."

She shifted slightly, looking uncomfortable. "Well, you aren't wrong with the whole assassin thing" she said awkwardly, her words hitting him like a brick wall.

"You're joking" he said flatly. "Assassin _and_ priestess? What kind of Japan did you come from?"

"The kind where the Kagesōsha exist."

"You're not seriously one of them" he said. That clan was far more than just a group of lowly assassins, even he knew that. They're reputation was contained in the islands, but his former self remembered hearing about them. Accepting that Kai was from such a clan was nearly impossible, for she did not behave at all like the image he had conjured of a Kagesōsha. He would have expected to meet and nearly emotionless individual, one who devoted herself fully to fighting and maintaining the honor and glory of her clan. Though Kai was certainly a lethal opponent, she was far from that kind of personality. Then again, for the first few years of their training, she was pretty withdrawn, but he had passed that off as anger at the Order for using her powers.

"I am." From both her tone and her expression he could tell she was being completely serious. "Though we have smaller outposts in almost every prefecture in Honshu, the main residence, which is more like its own city, is in Ise. We control the Shrine because it was my ancestor, the one who passed on her healing abilities, who founded it. So, yes, I am an assassin and a priestess, as paradoxical as that seems."

His mind was reeling. "Why so many secrets, Kai?" was all he could think to ask. "I know the Order hurt you, as they have done to many of us, but still."

She sighed. "An assassin never reveals her true background" she told him. "Though that is the reason I would like to give you, I would be lying once again if I did." She stood and began walking around the room. "I didn't want the Order to know too much about me because I was afraid they would take more from me. Those of us born into the Clan begin training as soon as we can walk, and our senses are developed from the time we come into this world. By the time we reach the age of five, our foundation is complete, and all that comes after is practice, practice that will make even stronger. Every man woman and child is a killing machine, Kanda, not unlike the Akuma. Do you really think I wanted the Order to take advantage of that too?"

Kanda shook his head. "No, but I think it became pretty obvious in battle" he said. "That can't be the only reason you hid this from us."

After he said that, she seemed to deflate in front of him, looking absolutely miserable as she sank back into her chair. "It was also to protect everyone" she said quietly. "My family would condemn nearly everyone to a slow and painful death if they knew what had been done to me. The priestess is revered for her powers, and any misfortune that befalls her is not taken lightly." She turned her gaze to the floor, and for a moment Kanda thought she might cry, which was something he had never once expected to see from her. "That's why I insisted you not go to Japan, Kanda, if the Clan gets word of your healing powers, they'll haul you in for interrogation, and you will not leave that place until I am safely back inside. That's the main reason I kept this a secret. The less you know about me, the less they can get out of you in an interrogation, and the less you'll suffer."

Though her reasoning was sound, something she'd said earlier didn't seem to fit. "Kai, Marie, the Marshall, and I all went through Ise province on our way to Edo" he told her. "No one stopped us, and though I did have the sense of being watched, I figured it was by Akuma. I mean, we were attacked as soon as we crossed the bay."

Kai sighed again. "You weren't attacked in the province because Akuma can't get through our barriers" she said. "Ise Shrine holds a lot more significance than just belonging to the Kagesōsha, people will travel great distances to see the ceremonies there. To protect it, the clan set up barriers to keep Akuma out of the province, and because its our main residence, the regular citizens also uphold our views on death. The Earl essentially has no power there. Kanda, if you were being watched, than it was most likely by my clansmen."

"But why us?" he insisted. "I was the only with my face exposed and I sure as hell was not there when the Order took you."

"Yes, but I think my brother witnessed it, and he would have seen the Order's crest on the Crow's uniforms" she said grimly. "If your uniforms were exposed at all, then I have no doubt he would put two and two together. Plus, though you were a native face, you were still an unfamiliar face, and they keep an eye on anyone they don't know."

"So basically, I'm probably screwed if I ever go back to Ise Province."

"Pretty much" Kai replied simply. "If you go with me, though, I should be able to keep you out of danger. Regardless of whether or not the Shine is under the influence of the Clan, if you claim sanctuary there, they cannot touch you. However, you'd have to have my approval, which is why I'd need to go there with you if you ever have a mission in that area."

"That's… relatively comforting" Kanda replied with a slight grimace. Being confined to a Shrine wasn't exactly ideal, but it was better than being held against his will in an interrogation room. Plus, they were speaking in the hypothetical, and it was highly doubtful they'd be going to Japan any time soon.

"So this mission, then" Kai said, crossing her legs and shifting into the focused business mode with which he was so familiar. "Do you think we should get the two other Exorcists who are supposed to be here involved? It could got more quickly with just the two of us, and there'd be less likelihood of being exposed."

"True, but neither you nor I will be able to carry them, because I have no doubt they've been injured, all the way to Paris" he told her.

"What's in Paris?" she asked.

"The closest arc gate to Lisbon" he replied. "Crossing back directly to England would be too obvious, and if one of the Noah is a distinguished aristocrat, he could make sure to stop us from leaving by boat."

"And sneaking across the Spanish border is far easier" Kai concluded with a nod. "Your strategy skills have improved since I last saw you."

He made a noncommittal gesture. "It's been over three years, I'd be pissed if they hadn't" he said, wondering if she was testing him.

"Any other ideas as to how we should go about this? Other than meeting up with whoever else is in Brighton."

Still unable to tell if she was genuinely at a loss for a way to go about this or if she was assessing his abilities, Kanda fell into silence as he thought what to do. "If you're right, and the Noah you met with haven't suspected you're an Exorcist, then we could send you in to infiltrate their base in Portugal. The other two Exorcists and I can wait in the city, out of uniform and in the shadows so as not to be discovered. When you find Lavi and Bookman, we can regroup and think of a way to rescue them. The problem we'll face is how to communicate without the Golem network or revealing the fact that you're an Exorcist to the Noah. The best way I can think of is to meet in the city, but how we'll signal when and where to meet is another problem in itself."

Kai leaned back in her chair, gazing up at the ceiling as she thought about his plan. "My brother has been on missions like this" she said. "and he told me they tend to take more time than a simple cut-and-run assassination job. Since that will most likely be the case here, I can establish a routine that would cover up our meetings in town. Once a week, on the same day, at the same, and at the same place we'll meet in the market. Cities like Lisbon always have open-air markets, and that would be near a public official's manor, since Ministers and the like need to be near their places of business in order to work efficiently."

"So when we get to Lisbon, we'll figure out where the manor is, then find the best landmark in the market and make that our meeting place" Kanda finished. "Do you know what you'll do if you do get exposed?"

"I'm an assassin, Kanda, do you honestly think I wouldn't know how to make an effective escape?" Kai countered with a raised eyebrow. "If I can, I'll get Bookman and Lavi out with me, but if I can't, we'll have to back to the Order and rethink our strategy. They'll move locations if we fail."

He nodded in agreement. "It just means we can't fail" he said. "We also have to account for the other two who are coming with us" he added. "If they're abilities aren't well suited for this, we may have to send them back ahead of us, or have them wait outside of the city. So, like I said earlier, I think we really should go look for them now."

Again, his teammate sighed. "Kanda, we're not in any shape to do that right now" she said gently. "Sleep on it, we'll figure out how to proceed in the morning. It would really suspicious if you walked out of here anyway, considering the owner of this place didn't see me bring you in."

That sent heat racing up his cheeks. "Yeah, that would be really awkward" he groaned. "Nice room, though" he said, more for the sake of changing the subject. "how could you afford this without sending word to the Order?"

She started laughing. "I told you that Allen saved me, right? You'll never guess how he did it."

"Cheating at Poker."

"So he's a pro?"

"Infamous" he said dryly. "So he gave you all his winnings, did he? Explains why he didn't have any money on him."

"What are you talking about?" Kai said confusedly. "He only gave me half, but that alone was a pretty hefty sum; about three hundred guineas."

Instant rage ran through his body, and Kanda felt his own murderous aura flare up. "That bastard, he was holding out" he said darkly.

"Calm down, he's not here for you to beat the crap out of now." As she always had, Kai remained unperturbed by his temper. Calmly getting to her feet again, she stretched, then, to Kanda's shock and slight horror, began to slip off her shirt.

"What the hell are you doing?" he cried, shielding his eyes with his arms. "It may have been less obvious in the past, but you're still a woman!"

He heard her laugh. "You're so innocent" she said.

"I am _not_ innocent… oh." In the heat of his indignation, he saw that Kai's chest was covered by a snug black undergarment that crossed over her shoulders and back. Now that he thought about it, she had worn similar articles of clothing during their training sessions, but he's always assumed it was to hide the mark between her shoulders. Still, she was showing a lot of skin for a woman of her age, more than she ought too, even if her legs were covered. Soon enough, though, she slipped a thin silk robe over the garment, then ducked into the bathroom to finish changing. When she returned, she was still wearing the robe, but with a pair of cotton trousers that stopped just below her knees underneath.

"I went and saw Natalie before going to look for you" she explained when she saw him looking. "I asked her for something similar to what my family wears."

"I didn't know you missed them so much" he commented. "You talked about your brother a lot, but I got the impression that you were glad to be out from his overprotective wing."

"I am, but…" she tugged anxiously at a lock of her hair, which she had let down. The motion was so instinctive, Kanda wondered if this had been a nervous habit of hers before she had cut her hair. Come to think of it…

"Why did you cut your hair so short?"

She blinked. "It wasn't my choice the first time" she told him. "There was an accident during one of the DNA removal procedures; short-circuit in the machine they were using to do it. My hair burned, then I kept it short when I realized that I would be treated more fairly if I was thought to be a boy." She must have noticed his expression, for she added, "oh you know what I mean. Everyone treats Lenalee like a princess and that's not just because she's Komui's sister. Look out how Marshall Nyne and her team were treated too; the Finders practically worshiped the ground they walked on."

"I didn't know you were so against male attention" he said, unable to hide his amusement. "Maybe you were meant to be a boy, but the spirits got in the way."

"I'm not against male attention, I'm against being worshipped simply because I'm a woman" she corrected indignantly. "I spent the first part of my childhood being worshipped as a divine mediator, it was stifling. I couldn't go anywhere without an escort. I mean, come on, I may be a priestess, but I'm also a proud member of the Kagesōsha! To be honest, I've thought about chopping off my hair again and letting everyone who's not an Exorcist continue to see me as a man."

"Okay, the Finders aren't _that_ bad, first of all" Kanda said. "Secondly, you've proven yourself in battle several times over. You'll be treated like an Exorcist first, and a woman second when we get back to the Order. And thirdly, Kai, no man in the world will mistake you for a man now, no matter how short your hair is."

"Says the man who took ten years to figure it out."

"Not my fault you were flat as a board-hey!"

Kai set her book back down with an unsympathetic thunk. "Get some sleep, we have a full day ahead of us tomorrow." This time there was such a definitive note of finality in her voice that Kanda didn't even try to protest.

"Should we set up a curtain or something?" he asked tentatively.

She rolled her eyes, climbing underneath the covers of the other bed. "Kanda, we've shared countless rooms before, not to mention that time we had to sleep in the same bed while we were in Prague. I think we've passed the point where using a make-shift curtain of modesty is even remotely necessary. Besides, I might as well get used to it. There's no such thing as separating men and women for the sake of moral conduct on Kagesōsha missions."

"We're in Europe, Kai, not Japan."

"Same difference" she replied dismissively, turning over so that her back was now facing him. "It's not like either of us is naked, so I don't see why you're being so difficult about it."

That brought an end to the conversation, but not to Kanda's misgivings. Sure, sharing a room had been fine, and though he was embarrassed as hell to realize he had shared a bed with a girl, back then he had always thought Kai was a boy. Now he knew the truth, and that, along with Kai's drastic change in appearance, made him uncomfortable. He didn't want to look at the delicate slope of her back, didn't want to know that just two feet away slept a woman of uncommon flexibility (he'd seen her contort her body numerous times while training). No, sharing a room with Kai now was just wrong. She might not see it, but being a woman, and having that be a now painfully obvious fact, made a huge difference.

Suddenly annoyed, he shoved the thought out of his head. Kai was Kai, female or not she was still the same kid he'd knows three years ago. Stupid animal instincts, how dare they make him think things were any different than before.

Although, she was kind of pretty…

No, no, he was not going to think like that, not now, not after everything he'd been through. He'd lost Alma, and with him died the hope of ever seeing the woman he'd loved again. There was no room in his heart for another person, and nothing was going to change that. He was going to sleep, and he was not going to think of the woman laying in the bed across from him. He was going to shut his mind down now, and then devote himself entirely to saving the damn rabbit's ass, thereby giving the Noah a good slap in the face, tomorrow.

Tomorrow came in the form of a very peaceful morning. However, it did not remain so for long, for when Kanda awoke he found the bed next to him empty and made so neatly it was as if it had never been slept it. Kai was nowhere to be found, nor was there any sign of her belongings in his direct field of vision. His boots, coat, and sword were all where they had been last night, but anyone looking in the room would think he was the only tenant.

Had he dreamt it all, then? Had his encounter with Kai all taken place in a dream? Perhaps it had been brought on by his unconscious state combined with his rapidly deteriorating body. If that was the case, though, why had he conjured Kai up as a woman? That was just wrong, or maybe it was the memory of Alma having once been a woman influencing his mind.

Dazed, he carefully got out of bed and tested his feet. In his current state, he wouldn't be surprised if hitting his head yesterday had given him a concussion. Well, at least he could walk properly, even if he still felt very, very disturbed whenever he thought about last night's events. They were so vivid, it seemed impossible that they had not actually happened. Maybe he was starting to go insane from the toll the seal was taking on his body, or maybe that priest had influenced him in more ways than he'd thought. Either way, there was clearly no one else in the room and, by the looks of things, there had never been.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, then set about putting himself back together. While he pulled on his boots and buttoned up his coat, he determined that the encounter with the priest had indeed happened, even if his conversation with Kai hadn't. That meant he had to find the rabbit and Bookman and get them out of the Noah's hands. From the tone of the priest's message, Kanda thought it was safe to assume that their Innocence had yet to be destroyed, but that meant he had to act all the more quickly. Believing that he hadn't imagined his meeting with the priest also meant that there were three other Exorcists in Brighton, and he would need to meet up with them if he hoped to succeed in his plan.

Maybe that was his answer: the plan. Perhaps now that his connection with Kai was fading, her spirit had come to him in a dream to guide him. Although, if that was the case, that meant she really had been a girl, and he'd been too stupid to figure that out for himself. Oh, well, he didn't really care, Kai had helped him find an answer. He'd go to Lisbon, and look for the Noah who were based there. Searching through the names of aristocrats to find his mark shouldn't be a hassle, but he'd have to come up with another plan of attack and retrieval. Seeing as the Kai he'd planned on using was just a figment of his imagination, he couldn't exactly rely on her to do and sort of investigative work.

"Oh, good, you're awake." Kanda felt his heart leap into his mouth as the devil herself climbed nimbly through the window. Kai was decked out in the same button down and pants she'd worn the night before, but not she was sporting a black hooded duster as well.

"Where the hell did you go?" he demanded as she took her suitcase out from behind the bureau and set it on her bed. He didn't tell her he had started to think she had been some kind of hallucination.

She looked up from her task of taking out some sort of black object from her case. "Where do you think I went? You were still asleep, so I went to go look for the other two Exorcists who are supposed to be here." Straightening up, she added, "you look a little off… are you alright?"

He shrugged. "I just wasn't sure where you went" he said evasively. "So, did you find them?"

Kai nodded. "Yes, they're going to meet us at the pier" she replied with a soft smile. "I found Lenalee and Marie just as they were leaving their hotel. Evidently Komui sent them after you, saying you disappeared without a trace. They're going to say that they didn't find you, but they know where you're going, so they'll head you off and head back as soon as you can. It was Lenalee's idea, I never would've guessed she could fool Komui so well."

"Well, that guy has a completely psychotic sister complex" Kanda said. "What time does our ship leave?"

"Two hours, we've got time if you want to shower or anything" she told him. "When we get to Lisbon, however, we're parting ways. Marie had a mission that took him through the city not too long ago, so he already knows of a place where we can meet in the market. All that's left to do is find Minister Camelot's manor and get inside, but you can leave that to me."

"Camelot?" he turned to give her a surprised frown as he clipped Mugen to its shoulder strap. "Who the hell did you meet yesterday?"

"Tyki Mikk and his friend, Wisely."

Kanda stared at her. "You mean to tell me neither beauty-mark, nor his mind-reading lackey, figured out that you are an Exorcist? Not only that, but one of them basically guaranteed you entrance into their base in Portugal?"

"I'm good at hiding my presence" Kai said, unfazed. She was wrapping what he now realized was a skirt around her waist when she continued, "I told you when we spoke last night, my foundational training for the Kagesōsha ended when I was five, and I used my time at the Order to perfect my skills. While I may not be at my father's or even my brother's level yet, I'm still an assassin." She gently tapped her hand against his cheek. "This is why I'm the right choice for what we're doing. I may not be back at peak physical condition yet, but that has no affect on my investigative abilities."

He couldn't help himself, he was impressed with both her skills and with how confidently she responded to his skepticism. Still, it seemed a little too good to be true. There had to be some sort of catch, some flaw that he couldn't quite make out yet, but one that was definitely there. Thinking it might involve that particular branch somehow, he said, "Central will have one hell of a field-day when they find out how we pulled this off."

"Maybe, but it will be a short-lived excitement" Kai said grimly. "If we do pull this off, I highly doubt I'll be able to infiltrate another Noah stronghold again. They'll probably realize I had a hand in things the moment Lavi and Bookman leave and I suddenly decide to do the same. Even if the Noah themselves don't catch on right away, the Earl will be able to guess, I'm sure. Plus, I'll be back in the open after we return to Headquarters, it won't take any time for them to put it all together when we end up facing each other on the battlefield."

So that was the catch: this was a one-time deal, no repeats, and no second chances if they screwed up. "We just have to carry this out with precision; shouldn't be a problem" he said with a smirk. He buckled Mugen's strap across his torso. "Shall we go, then?"

She nodded, then gestured to the window. "I'll meet you at the ship. If the Noah are still in town, it'd look suspicious if they saw us boarding together."

"Well, yes, it would, but why the hell do I have to go out the window?" Kanda demanded. "Wouldn't the assassin be better able to sneak out that way?"

Kai smirked. "Did you forget who's paying for the room?" she asked him with a pointed look. "I told you yesterday that owner didn't see me bring you in, so how do you think it would look if you came downstairs with me?"

He grimaced as she smiled, his stomach clenching further when he noticed it was her "sweet" smile. That smile was never good, it nearly always ended badly for him when it crossed her lips. That smile was evil, evil incarnate, and the devilry was prevalent in the innocent tone with which she spoke when she said, "you wouldn't want to soil my reputation, would you?"

"I-I got it" he said, feeling his argumentative side burn out. Had Kai been the boy he'd thought she was, he would have argued until they came to blows, but now that he knew she was a woman, he just couldn't do it. It wasn't just Kai, Lenalee, and pretty much every woman had that affect on him. They knew how to get inside his head, and he didn't like that, so he tended to avoid getting into verbal confrontations with them. Of course, this did explain why he'd never won an argument with Kai in the past. Thinking back to that, he had no trouble believing she was born into a clan of assassins.

Disappointment ghosted across her face for a moment, as if she was upset he hadn't challenged her, which was odd. Unlike him, Kai didn't usually go looking for a fight, she was far more disciplined than that. Her reaction was explained to him a few moments later, after she'd crossed to the door, thereby putting her back to him and hiding her face. After a brief pause, she said, "I hope you won't make a habit of letting me win all our disagreements, Kanda. We can settle things the way we used to, but if I think you're not trying simply because you found out I'm a woman, I'll kick your ass so hard you won't be able to sit down for a month. Got it?"

Like hell was he going to let her win a duel. "I don't know if I can agree to that arrangement, actually" he said, feigning arrogance. "I may need to step it down a bit, you know, so you can keep up. You've been out of commission for quite some time, I just might have surpassed you in that time."

She smirked. "Don't count on it, asshole" she said, regaining her earlier spark. Nodding to the window, she said, "get going, I don't want to leave the room until you go, or someone might see you."

He nodded, then did as he was told. When he climbed out the window, he saw the path Kai had taken when she'd left earlier. There was a drainage pipe right next to the sill, and the metal holding it against the building was wide enough to grip and climb down. The pipe stopped about three feet above the ground, so Kanda was able to drop into the side street without making a sound. After he'd completed the route, he looked back at it and frowned. With his height and muscle mass, getting down the pipe had been easy enough, but keeping it from making noise had been a much more difficult task. Even the rat that shimmied up the metal structure a second later made it rattle, so how had Kai managed getting in and out via this route without making a single sound?

"The damn fox must also be part cat" he muttered, then turned and exited the alley. Fox… it seemed like a relatively appropriate name for her, given how cunning she could be, but it wasn't a perfect match. Kai wasn't one to beat around the bush most of the time, she was too honest to be considered a fox. A dog? No, not only would calling her that earn him a bed in the infirmary, but dog's were as blunt as foxes were cunning. His teammate was definitely in the canine section of nicknames, but somewhere in between the personality of a dog and a fox, and he needed a good name if he hoped to hold onto his dignity in their fights.

Think, there had to be something that fit her as easily as Rabbit fit Lavi and Bean-sprout fit Allen. The Kagesōsha crest consisted of a pair of wolves howling at a crescent moon with a ring of fire around it. That same moon with its halo of flames decorated Kai's back, though it was wrapped around the kanji that marked her as the priestess of Ise Shrine. The characters translated from Japanese into English as "Spirit Guardian", if he remembered rightly. He'd seen the mark before, but only after the Chan family had added the transfer seal to the design. That was when Kai had told him about her life in the Shrine, though she'd said she'd been a priest-in-training, not a priest_ess_. He still couldn't believe she'd hide something like that from him. He wouldn't have treated her differently just because she was a girl… okay, he might have, but still!

As Kai had said, the ship was waiting for him when he reached the pier. When he spoke to the man in charge of the passenger list, he found that Lenalee and Marie had already received rooms and were waiting for him in first class. They weren't in their cabins when he got there, however, though he found they had booked a pair of those that slept two. That meant Kai would be rooming with Lenalee, then. Satisfied with the arrangements, Kanda decided to clean up a bit, then go look for the others. He found his suitcase waiting for him in his and Marie's cabin, for which he was glad, because he really did need to change his clothes.

A knock on his door brought Kai into the cabin. She must have reached the ship before him, for her hair was damp and she had changed her clothes. Now she was wearing a dark blue button down and another pair of the fitted pants she had been wearing that morning. A red scarf tied around her waist made for a makeshift belt that swayed lightly as she walked. She'd left her hair down, allowing it to fall in long straight locks over her shoulders and down her back.

"You still prefer menswear, I see" he commented as he pulled his coat back over his fresh set of clothes.

She shrugged. "It's easier to fight in" she replied mildly. "Marie and Lenalee are in the restaurant, where the first-class passengers are all being served their mid-morning tea. They've checked out the passengers already and have confirmed that none of the Noah are onboard."

"I didn't see any of them on my way here, either" Kanda told her. "Let's go tell them about the plan in full, then we can work out a plan for what to do when you do find Lavi and Bookman."

"It might be too early for that" Kai said. "Until I get a sense of how tight their security is and what kind of condition those two are in, we won't know how we can proceed. Planning the actual rescue now would be a waste of time."

"Then what do you suggest we do in the meantime?" he asked as he locked the cabin door behind them.

"Finalize everything" she said. "That's really all we can do."

"That sounds tedious."

"It's necessary, though."

He sighed. "Whatever. What did you say to them when you went to see them this morning?" he asked.

"I told them about everything involved with my awakening" she told him. "I gathered it was safe to tell them the truth, seeing as Allen was close with the two of them. They're aware that I'm your cover for when we get back to the Order, though, so you don't have to worry about that."

Kanda just nodded in reply. Marie and Lenalee were two of the last people who would rat out the Bean-sprout, so he wasn't worried in the slightest. Instead, he and Kai moved on to more idle subjects of conversation, such as clarifying things Allen hadn't been able to completely explain to her. By the time they'd reached the restaurant, he was sure she was now completely up to speed, no holes whatsoever, and ready to transition back to her life as an Exorcist.

Marie and Lenalee waved them over to a table by the enormous window in the back of the restaurant. It was a good spot for them to sit and discuss things, as the tables there were more spread out, but close enough that the din of the other passengers would still mask their voices. They talked about meaningless things for a while, during which time Kanda tuned out for the most part, aware of the subjects, not the details, discussed. Most of the conversation took place between Lenalee and Kai, and consisted of Kai's disappearance and miraculous return to the battlefield, as well as her newly defined appearance. At one point, he heard Kai say she'd thought about cutting her hair again, but Lenalee shot her down immediately.

"Kai, I swear, if you so much as think about taking a pair of scissors to your hair, I will kick you so hard with my Dark Boots you'll fly back to Japan."

Apparently the assassin had met her match in Lenalee as far as intimidation tactics went. From where Kanda was situated, it looked like Kai had immediately given up on any plans to shorten the length of her hair. There was a grimace on her face, and a satisfied smile on Lenalee's, clearly indicating who had won the contest of wills.

"So, this plan" Marie cut in. "The meeting place I have in mind is the fountain in Rossio Square. It's usually a very crowded place, and if we're in civilian attire we should be able to meet without being noticed. Kai, do you think you'll be able to get there without arousing suspicion."

She nodded. "If the information I have is true, then the manor shouldn't be far from the main activity center of the city" she said. "As far as my role in this mission is concerned, though, I do want to get a better understanding of whom I'm going up against. The Noah, I take it they're not easy opponents to beat, given their record so far, but can you give me a better idea of their abilities?"

Lenalee spoke this time. "Well, you're going up against the Camelot faction, so you actually have a bigger chance than you would against the others because we've seen how most of that group fights" she told her. "Tyki Mikk can choose whether or not to move through anything of this world, and he can manipulate that which he chooses not to touch. I once saw him entrap another Exorcist in a vacuum made from air he rejected."

"Then there's Sheryl Camelot, the one you said is a politician," Kanda said. "That bastard can manipulate other people's bodies without touching them. I don't know how well that puppeteer power works on us, but it did a done of damage to a member of the Crow faction. Worse than him is Wisely. He can read minds and dig into people's memories, Exorcist or otherwise. He can also use some sort of psychic power to crush the head of whomever he's fighting." He saw her grimace, and gave her a nod of understanding. "Be careful, you're not like me, you can't recover from mortal injuries."

"I know, Kanda, I'll do what I can to avoid confronting him," she said quietly. "but does this guy have any weakness other than Innocence?"

Kanda thought back to the time he'd been up against the white-haired freak, and something did stick out to him about the whole encounter. "Aside from the fact that if you snap out of his illusions, you can cripple him, I think he does have one" he said slowly. "When I was up against him, I never once saw him move around much, so I think he would be weak in a head-to-head combat battle. He needs his target to be still in order to launch the head-crushing attack, other than that you need to be looking into his demon eyes to fall prey to his mental attacks."

That seemed to set her more at ease. "Speed is one of my specialties, so that's comforting to here" she said. "Anyone else I should be wary of who might be there?"

Marie spoke this time. "If Lavi and Bookman really are in Lisbon, I think the Noah who attacked my group will be there too" he said. "His partner called him the Fiddler, and he somehow injects parasites into his opponents that eat them from the inside out. He used that attack on Chaoji, the newest addition to our Marshall's team. It took the doctors hours to figure out how to remove the parasites alone, and it took Chaoji quite a while to recover."

"It sounds like I'll have a miniature army waiting for me" Kai commented. "It can't be helped, though, we can't abandon our comrades." She looked up at them all. "What about Rhode Camelot?"

Lenalee stiffened. "She's probably one of the most dangerous, as her power to move between dimensions is unfathomable" she said.

"How do you plan to get in anyway?" Marie asked.

"Mikk offered her a job" Kanda told him. They then delved into the details of the plan. By the time they were finished, they had a finalized strategy formed, and Kanda could feel the old excitement that came with missions rising within him. As it did, however, he also began to feel anxious. It wasn't that he was no longer sure they would succeed, it was that he was no longer sure he would stick to what he'd told himself earlier. He'd promised himself that, in spite of telling Kai he would think on it, he would not accept her offer to prolong his life. Now that he was hear, discussing strategy and just talking with his teammates, he was no longer sure he could keep to that resolution. When it came down to it, he really did want to continue being a part of this fight…

…maybe even enough to live on until its end.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: **Hey, sorry for the lateness of this update, I haven't had too much time or energy to write lately. I've been working at my old summer camp as a volunteer counselor and the kids tend to take a lot out of me. Anyway, here's the next chapter, I hope you all still like it. If you're still confused about the chapter title by the end, I've thrown in a little note to explain it.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 5: The Most Effective Kind of Fighter**

It had all started with a shout.

Tyki Mikk had been walking through the town square, enjoying his chance to be back at the home he shared with Sheryl in the heart of Lisbon. As much as his brother got on his nerves, the city manor was huge, and even though they already had a room filled with the eye-patch kid and Bookman, he still had plenty of peace in his own room. After his brief trip to Brighton, he had spent a lot of time his room, actually. Rhode's disappearance and the various pressures of political life had made his brother virtually intolerable. Sheryl was still desperate to see if he could get the old man to give up his records, an utterly pointless endeavor. Bookman had fallen into a sort of stupor over the past three months, starting when Fiddler had dealt a particularly hard blow to the redhead. Lavi had fallen into a near comatose state and Bookman had snapped. Now there was no getting through to his own mind, let alone his records.

Well, at least Wisely wasn't coming. He and the twins were tracking the Fourteenth now.

"I said let go of me!" Tyki had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he had nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the cry for help. Curiosity got the better of him, and he raced toward the alley where the person had screamed. Sounds of a struggle reached him before he arrived to actually see the altercation. Three men were moving in on a single woman, looking like a pack of ravenous dogs about to pounce on a defenseless rabbit. Tyki couldn't help himself, his gentleman's instincts were overcoming those of his inner Noah, and he shouted at the men to leave the girl alone.

They jeered at him. "Why, look who it is! Lord Mikk has come to send us away, boys" one of the scoffed while his friends laughed raucously. "Back off, this little mouse is ours. Go find one of your rich girls if you want a woman."

The girl stiffened, and he instantly recognized the grey that locked onto him, silently asking for his help. Intrigued, he drew himself up to his full height and firmly declared, "my pride as a gentleman would never allow that. Hand her over to me, or I'll hand you over to the police. Men like me happen to have a lot of clout with law enforcement, you know."

"You wouldn't dare."

"You're terrorizing my brother's private physician" he replied with a smirk. "Do really want to test me?"

The man snarled, but soon shoved the girl into his arms. "She's not really worth it anyway. Too skinny, and I prefer local women."

Once they were gone, Tyki looked down at the human he'd met only a week ago, a human he'd never thought he'd see again. He had offered her the job sincerely, yes, but she had been so reluctant, and had dashed out of the Club so quickly, he'd thought for sure that that was her way of refusing. Yet, here was the young Ayame Takeda, alone and silently putting a little distance between them.

"I'm so sorry about that" she said awkwardly. "I didn't expect to run into you so soon, especially not like this."

"Think nothing of it" he said, shaking his head and giving her one of his best smiles. Looking down at her suitcase, he asked, "did you just get in?"

She nodded. "I wasn't really planning on it, but I thought maybe I could take you up on that job offer" she said with a light laugh. "It'll only be temporary, but I hope I can be of service. I don't know how in need you are of a physician, especially one as… unorthodox in her methods as myself, but I would be extremely grateful if you would have me."

"You… actually have perfect timing" he replied. If this girl could revive Lavi, even a little, it might bring some sanity back to the old man. She seemed confident in her abilities, and he personally was interested in seeing how a priestess went about healing someone. Indeed, he really could use her, a gentle soul that had never done the Bookman ill, and manipulate the old man back to his senses. Once he was sane enough, they could pry the records off him, and then Tyki could send the girl on her way or have her stay on and tend to Sheryl's wife, either way she'd be completely oblivious to the service she had performed for him.

Convinced, he took her arm and put it through his own, placing his hand over hers in a gesture of melancholy hope. "It's just awful, my father's friend is not in his right mind right now. You see, his nephew, my dear cousin, has taken ill, and we fear he will not last much longer." It was intoxicating, watching her drink in every word of his extravagant lie like a parched horse from an oasis. "If your methods could be of any service, I would be eternally grateful to you in turn."

Ayame nodded, and he saw a spark jump in her eyes as she registered that he was indeed offering a job. Were he more human, Tyki thought he would have felt guilty for deceiving such a young and innocent woman, but that was not the case, so he felt no such thing.

They reached the mansion within a matter of minutes, and his first move was to hand the girl off to a maid for cleanup. She was rather disheveled from the scuffle in the alley, and the more presentable she was, the more likely Sheryl would be willing to go along with his plan. Nevertheless, the results he'd been expecting and the results he received were two completely different outcomes. When the girl next came into his view, he was unable to believe she was the same person who had just come out of a fight, or even the common girl he'd met on the street in Brighton. He did notice the slight grimace as she walked, though.

"Everything alright?"

"I'm just not used to such loose clothing" she said, slightly red-faced as she plucked lightly at the fabric of the dress the maid had given her.

"I've heard that Kimonos are a bit more confining" he agreed, sliding a hand behind her back. "Come, my brother is out on the terrace. I'm sure he'd love to meet you and hear all about…"

"THERE YOU ARE!" Sheryl came bursting into the hall, face gaunt and voice cracking. He was about to enter full-blown rant mode, but stopped short when he saw the girl. Clearing his throat, he straightened his tie and said, "Who is this lovely young lady, brother? A friend of yours?"

"This is Miss Ayame Takeda, Sheryl" he said slowly, hoping his brother would take the hint. "Miss Takeda, this is my brother, Minister Sheryl Camelot."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Minister" Ayame said, bowing respectfully to his brother. If he was right in his recollection of the fact, Tyki believed it was traditional for all Japanese to bow to those they saw as their superiors.

"Oh, please, my dear, call me Sheryl!" Tyki rolled his eyes as his brother took the girl's hands. "Leave it to Tyki to find such a beautiful girl on his walk! But I have to wonder, what brings a pretty young woman such as yourself to our wonderful city of Lisbon?"

"She's a doctor, brother," he told him, sliding in a subtle note of importance into his words. "one who deals in nontraditional methods of treatment. I told her we would take her on as a private physician to help with Junior's condition."

As he had anticipated, Sheryl's face lit up. "Oh, that's marvelous! Absolutely MARVELOUS!" he cried, pulling the stunned girl into a bone-crushing embrace. "Oh, you have no idea what the boy's illness has done to me. I can't get a wink of sleep with him waking up and yelling like a banshee."

"I'd be happy to help" Ayame said, her words catching slightly as Sheryl's hug restricted her air intake. When he finally let go, she asked, "should I examine him now? Lord Mikk said that he's not in a very stable condition, and I'd at least like to get an idea of what I'm up against before I try and treat him."

Tyki flinched, he hadn't expected her to be so eager. Sheryl had to determine how trustworthy she was before they took her to the Exorcists. Though he had no doubt the Order had no way of knowing where to find the pair of Bookmen, Tyki couldn't push what Wisely had said to him as they were leaving Brighton out of his mind. It had concerned him, and thinking back on it now he felt that inviting Ayame into the manor so openly may not have been such a good idea. Still, if they could trust her, they would have an unwitting physician to move at their beck and call, an invaluable asset when he thought about it.

"I can't get a read on her, Tyki." Wisely's words echoed in his mind. "I hear what she's saying to you in her mind, but I'm not sure I buy it. I'd watch out for this girl, she just doesn't seem normal to me."

"Miss Takeda, why don't you come out to the terrace?" Sheryl suggested. He must have seen his expression, for Tyki knew this was his brother's usual tactic for interviewing potential allies. Ayame fell for it, but he thought he could see the ghost of suspicion in her eyes. That was actually a selling point, it wouldn't do to have her be too oblivious of her environment, not if they wanted to keep her on as a personal physician. He resolved to watch her reactions to Sheryl's questions carefully as they went through the interview. It would be her actions, not her words, that would truly give them a hold on her personality.

Sheryl lead the out to the terrace, where the table was already set for tea. As they took their seats, Tyki couldn't help but notice that his brother put Ayame closer to him. Ayame didn't seem to mind, but it was clear she had noticed the situation as well. She definitely was perceptive, he only hoped it wasn't to the point where she'd figure out what they really were. If what she'd told him about being a priestess was true, though, she might have already sensed something off about him and Sheryl. He once again thought of what Wisely had told him.

"So, Miss Takeda, you're a physician?" Sheryl asked politely.

Ayame nodded. "Yes, but, as Lord Mikk said earlier, I'm not a physician in the traditional sense."

"What do you mean by that?"

She remained immaculately poised, though the question had surely brought back painful memories. "I was a priestess back in my homeland, I rely on my ability to control and communicate with the spirits to identify ailments. It may be a difficult thing to believe, but I assure you it is the truth."

A spark of interest jumped in Sheryl's eye, Tyki could tell his brother was full interested in her now. He leaned forward, and continued, "where did you live, Miss Takeda, and why did you leave?"

"I used to live in the Tosa province in the south of Japan" she told him. "My shrine burned down in a wildfire, and my brother and I took the opportunity to leave the islands for good. It's dangerous to live in Japan right now, you see, and we had decided long ago that we would leave as soon as we could."

"That's just awful!" Tyki resisted the temptation to clap his hand to his face as Sheryl let out his dramatic cry of sympathy. "You poor dear!"

"I appreciate the sympathy, Minister" Ayame replied politely. "Forgive me for being so forward, but may I inquire as to whether not there is a place for me here? I understand that not only is your relative ill, but your wife is not in the best of health. If you give me a chance, I'll prove to you that I have the strength to help both of them get better."

Sheryl studied her. "My dear, I understand you are anxious, but please bear with me for just a while longer" he said gently. "Did your job search in Brighton end in tragedy?"

Tyki sat up a little straighter, he'd forgotten he'd already told Sheryl about his meeting the girl back in England. Damn it, that meant his bastard brother had been leading them both on for a while.

"Really, Tyki, you forget things so easily" his brother chided softly.

Oh, how he wanted to hit him. In an effort to disguise his irritation, he smiled at Ayame, who watching them both with silent perplexity. "I did tell him about our encounter, actually" he said. "As Sheryl says, though, I forgot I had done so until just a moment ago."

"I see…" The lack of conviction in Ayame's voice was subtle, but it did not go undetected. Tyki smiled again, this time to his himself. This girl was constantly on her guard, she wasn't about to blab to an Order official without being hauled off to an interrogation chamber.

It wasn't just him, Sheryl seemed satisfied as well. He got to his feet and said, "Miss Takeda, I think you'll be perfect for what we have in store, but I have just a few more questions." He turned his back to her. "First of all, have you heard of the Black Order?"

Something flashed behind Ayame's eyes, like she had just realized she was getting herself into something much bigger than she'd expected. She remained still, completely composed, and seemed to consider her words before speaking.

"I have, but only in passing" she said. "I is true that they part of the Vatican."

"Something like that" Tyki told her. "The thing is, our cousin Junior is part of the Order, along with his uncle, but neither of them want anymore part of the Pope's organization. They were on their way to us for sanctuary, but the Order caught up to them, and we have reason to believe they poisoned Junior. It seems they feel that if they can't have their members, no one can."

Ayame's eyes went wide. "That's just cruel" she said. After she let her shock subside a bit, she asked, "why did you tell me this? Did you fear I would figure it out when I examined him?"

The face that she'd used the word "fear" did not escape Tyki's notice. Ayame was not only confident in her abilities, she was confident in the knowledge that they really did need her. Perhaps she had seen through this mockery of an interview at the very beginning, but she obviously knew now that she had the job if she was able to prove to them that she could keep a secret. Well, her determined expression was enough to show them that, it was just a matter of testing her skills to see if she was even worth bringing on at all.

"That, and we wanted to give you an idea of what you're getting yourself into should you choose to stay on" Sheryl replied to her with a nod. "Can you keep your knowledge of our cousin's whereabouts a secret from them?"

The girl nodded without hesitation. "I understand what it's like to be hunted" she told them. "A priestess does not easily leave her shrine, whether it is standing or not. I will keep your secret."

Another intriguing answer, with an even more intriguing response from his brother. Tyki watched as a near-malicious smile crossed Sheryl's lips, which made it clear that the Minister was pleased with her answer. He, like Tyki, had also realized they had won over and completely taken in a potentially invaluable ally by using her own emotions. Maybe they ought to call themselves the Noah of Deception rather than of Pleasure and Desire. Well, either way, it seemed that Ayame was in, even if she had no clue what she was really doing for them.

What was that light that flickered behind her eyes as Sheryl gave her the news, though? Satisfaction? Triumph? Whatever it was, it once again reminded Tyki that this might not be a good idea. This girl, for all the information she had given them on her personal life, she seemed to have left something out. As much as he wanted to find out what it was, however, Tyki knew doing so now would be taking it a step too far. She was already on her guard, especially after their request that she swear herself to secrecy, getting anything out of her now would not only be difficult, but they could drive her off if they pushed too hard. For now, it would be best to just let her do her job, then slowly dig beneath the surface to find whatever treasure she was keeping from them.

"As… unusual as this as going to sound, Miss Takeda," Sheryl had returned to the table now. "I would like you to examine my wife first instead of Junior. We want to get a sense of your so-called unorthodox ways, but right now Junior's condition is too precarious for me to be comfortable with letting you see him. My wife, Tricia, on the other hand, is in a state of limbo. She's neither in decline nor getting better with her current regimen, so I figured examining her is far less hazardous than examining our cousin."

Ayame nodded. "I completely agree with you" she said. "Shall I see her now, or is she resting?"

Sheryl sighed. "I'm afraid she's been a little upset with me. Ever since I sent our daughter off to boarding school, she hasn't left our room much. She's been so frustrated that she fired her last doctor for lack of results." He smiled wryly. "Take care when entering the lion's den, Miss Takeda."

She smiled. "Of course, Minister Camelot."

"Tyki, would you be a dear and…?"

"Of course, Sheryl" Tyki replied wanly. That was the one full truth Sheryl had told Ayame since her arrival. To explain away Rhode's sudden disappearance, Sheryl said he'd had her sent to boarding school to give her the best education possible. Of course, being Rhode's adoptive mother and having all the traits to do the job, Tricia had been less than pleased to hear her daughter had left without saying goodbye. As that was the case, Tyki was no more inclined to go near the mother bear than Sheryl. He only hoped Ayame would have the will to take Tricia's moods in stride, no matter what was said or done.

As had become her habit since Rhode's "leaving", Tricia had the lights turned down in her room. It was apt to call it "her" room, as Sheryl had been banished to a guest chamber elsewhere in the east wing. Despite the dark and frankly frightening environment, Ayame entered with complete confidence.

"Tricia, it's me" Tyki called out warily. As power as he was, his sister-in-law had a way of intimidating him with her motherly instincts.

"Tyki?" She sounded exhausted, but still as cold as the day she'd fired her last physician. "Let me guess, Sheryl sent you to beg for his forgiveness?"

"Actually, he wanted me to introduce you to the new physician" he told her, using his most endearing tone. "Miss Takeda, this is Lady Tricia Camelot. Tricia, this is Miss Ayame Takeda-"

"Leave us, Tyki."

"Yes, Ma'am."

And so he left the room, though he took care to wait right outside the door, ready to comfort Ayame should she flee the deadly silent force within. It came as a pleasant surprise when, about twenty minutes later, when Tyki was beginning to wonder if she was ever coming out, she returned completely unscathed. There was a weary look on her face, and she shook her head when he asked her how it had gone.

"She has a chronic illness, one that affects her lungs" she told him. "I'm afraid my methods are better suited to the wounded and temporarily ill, those who can be treated immediately. I told her it would be best to return to her previous medication regimen, as she admitted it had made her feel much better before she'd dismissed the doctor. That's all I'll be able to do for her, though, I'm afraid. Illnesses like hers are characteristically impossible to cure, and nothing I do will permanently ease her symptoms."

Tyki shrugged, they knew as much from the previous doctor, that Ayame was able to report the same simply proved she was a capable physician. Her real test was soon to come, but they'd have to wait until that evening, when all the servants were asleep, to get to that. So, he said, "That's all we can hope for, Miss Takeda, I'm glad you were able to persuade her to return to her medicine. As for Junior, you will have to examine him later, when there are less gossipers around who might reveal him to his enemies."

Understanding his hint, she nodded, and Tyki took her to an empty room in the west wing, which was closer to his quarters, and the secret annex in which the boy and Bookman were locked up. This arrangement of things would make it much easier to keep an eye on everybody, seeing as Sheryl would be too busy to help him while catering to Tricia. He still had his reservations about Ayame, but so far she had proved herself to be the doctor she'd claimed. Later tonight he'd be able to see that in person, and gauge just how safe, or dangerous, it was to keep her around. If he was to be honest, though, he hoped it would all turn out for the better. Sheryl was already stressed out over the old man's silence, and the Earl was getting impatient with them as well.

He wondered anxiously about how the Earl would take to Ayame's presence. It was almost fortunate that Rhode had disappeared, as it would keep both him and Sheryl distracted while Tyki conducted his little experiment.

The night came swiftly enough, and when he entered her room, Tyki found Ayame sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, cross-legged and eyes closed. She sat perfectly still as he approached, as though oblivious to his presence. When he'd gotten a little closer, he could hear her breathing coming in smooth, steady waves. He also noticed that she had changed into a pair of short trousers and a light silk robe, which struck him as odd until he remembered she wasn't from Europe. Seeing how she was completely absorbed in her task, he decided to wait for a couple of moments.

"You can tell me whatever it is you want to say" she said, startling him when she broke the near silence of the room. Turning to look over her shoulder, she gave him a quick smile and continued, "I don't mean to be rude, but it's rather difficult to concentrate with you sitting there."

"Oh, well maybe I can come back in a bit" he suggested, letting his gentleman side dictate his actions.

She shook her head. "No, no, it's alright" she said, getting to her feet. "I would have been finished soon anyway." After she said, this, she turned around and looked at him expectantly. Before replying, Tyki took the time to notice she had left her hair down, as well as the fact that it was far longer than it had looked pulled back. The look struck a small chord of curiosity in him, and he wondered if all Japanese didn't cut their hair. Kanda Yū also had rather long hair for a young man, even by fashion's standards.

"Lord Mikk? Did you need me for something?"

Tyki hastily cleared his throat. "Ah, yes" he said. "I think it's time for you to come and see Junior."

"I see." She motioned to the door. "Lead the way."

He obliged, and as they walked down the corridor, he asked his question. "Do all Japanese people keep their hair as long as yours? If I recall correctly, I once came across a boy of the same nationality with long hair as well."

Ayame looked at him for a moment, then laughed. "Of course not everyone in Japanese wears their hair as long as mine, just as not everyone in Europe wears theirs as short as yours. My status allowed me to keep it long, yet neat, so there was no need to cut it too short. As for this boy you met, I cannot say for sure, but perhaps he too came from a higher class family. Do you recall how he wore it when you saw him? Was it up or down?"

He took a moment to think back to his fight with Kanda back in Edo. Most of their battle had taken place after the swordsmen's hair had fallen out of its tie, but he did remember the moments before that too. "Up" he said finally. "Up in a high ponytail, sort of like the one you had your hair in this morning."

"He may be a noble, but he could have come from one of the Ronin families too" she told him.

"The what now?"

"Ronin" she repeated. "It's the term used for the Samurai who lose their lord and land and who have no choice left but to wander the country in search of a new place to call home. The Samurai usually wear a pretty strictly kempt top-knot, but the Ronin often don't care about that after they lose their homes."

"I see…" Tyki replied, slightly overwhelmed by the complexities of Japanese life. The Earl had so much control over the country, yet it was as foreign to him as any other nation outside of Europe.

They walked for several minutes in silence while Tyki searched for another topic of discussion. The climb to annex was coming up, but it was a rather long walk, so he figured talking would be a good way to pass the time. When he looked over at her, however, he noticed Ayame seemed as interested in talking as she was dancing a traditional highland jig. Her eyes, which, he noticed, were the same color as the moon outside, were turned to the right, gazing out each window that passed them. From his position, Tyki believed he saw them linger on the forest that made up a majority of the grounds. If he played his cards right, maybe he could use this fascination to get to know her better.

"You seem intrigued" he commented.

A ghost of a smile crossed her lips. "It reminds me of home" she said. "Europe is so industrialized, I've never quite been able to get used to it."

"Don't you have cities in Japan, though?" he asked.

"Of course, Edo and Kyoto are the just two of the many jewels in our empire" she replied, and for the first time Tyki registered pride in her voice. He was happy to hear it, though, for it meant he had scratched the surface of her diamond-hard shell. Any reaction other than neutral acknowledgment of his questions and comments was essential for him to get a good hold on the sort of person she was. Now, when he looked as his facts, he could add that she still had a sense of national pride in spite of the fact that she was a runaway.

When she spoke again, however, Tyki was tempted to bash his head against a wall. Out of all the aspects of her personality, her perception was by far the most annoying. Just when he thought he had the upper hand, that he was about to get somewhere in understanding how her mind worked, she could cut his legs out from under him. Seriously, what was she? A mind-reader? Or did her skills as a priestess have something to do with it?

"I may have run, Lord Mikk, but I love my home, and as soon as it's safe, I will return and reestablish my Shrine."

"Can you hear my thoughts or something?" he demanded, not caring that he sounded so blunt.

Ayame laughed. "Your facial expressions are easy to read is all" she said.

He sighed, he'd have to work on that. "What were you doing back in the room when I came to get you?" He hoped this would take him down a different path to her heart and its inner workings.

"Meditating" came her simple reply. "It's the best way for me to communicate with the spirits."

That reminded him of their time in Brighton. "What did they tell you back in England?"

She gave him a sideways glance. "I told you I know what's it like to be hunted, Lord Mikk" she said. "They were warning me of pursuers."

"Pursuers?" he prodded.

"Yes, that's why I said my stay here would only be temporary" she said curtly.

Another dead-end, her tone made that clear enough. It didn't matter, though, the entrance to the annex was just ahead of them, and all other conversation would have to make way for the matter at hand. Tyki opened the door and allowed Ayame to pass through before him. After they entered the room where the two Exorcists were being held, he began to explain the situation as best he could without giving anything away.

"And after poor Junior fell into a coma, the old man just lost it" he concluded, noticing her expression. Bookman was faced away from them now, but he had looked over just a moment ago with an expression that would wrench at anyone's heartstrings. Just as he had for the past three months, the old man showed no sign of understanding him. Whenever anyone spoke to him in English, he would just look at them with glazed eyes and slightly parted lips. Tyki had no choice but to address him in his Portuguese, but it was probably for the better, seeing as there was no way Ayame would understand whatever he said.

"Hey, old man. Are you up to actually functioning today?" he asked.

Bookman lifted his eyes to him, tilted his head to one side, and began to sway from side to side. In a little singsong tone he said, "Man is man, today is today."

Not riddles again. Tyki couldn't help but let out an aggravated sigh. "Well, that's a response" he replied, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. He turned back to Ayame and shrugged. "Even in Portuguese, I can't get a remotely sane word out of him" he said. "I'm sorry if I seemed a tad harsh, but this has been going on for too long and I'm exhausted."

"I understand" she said gently. "Shall I try talking to him?"

"He doesn't understand English anymore" he replied flatly.

"Maybe he knows Japanese" she suggested. "He looks like a scholar."

Tyki shrugged. "He is, so maybe he would" he said. "You can try, but if I were you, I wouldn't expect much, even if he does understand."

She nodded, then knelt in front of the old man and took his hands in her own. It was then that Tyki saw just how much she'd closed off her heart when she'd been speaking with him and with Sheryl. As she conversed with the old man, who was actually responding in coherent replies, by the looks of things, her face shifted from one expression to the next, each emotion more easy to identify than the last. Not one time had she shown so much diversity in her expressions since her arrival. Now she was moving between all sorts of sympathetic displays. What was more, she seemed to be making far more progress in the past three minutes than he and Sheryl had in the past three months.

Finally, she gestured to Lavi, and asked Bookman a question. He nodded, and she moved to bedridden apprentice. Tyki stood back and observed while she placed the tips of her fingers at different points on his body, but he was unable to decipher her methodology even though he was watching so closely. She felt his forehead, then gently put her ear to his chest. He thought that she was listening to heartbeat, but then she lifted the boy's wrist and felt his pulse. Each time she performed a part of her examination, the frown on her face deepened, which worried him greatly. Had Fiddler done more damage to the boy than they'd realized? If it turned out he would be impossible to treat, there was no chance in hell that they would get a Bookman's records.

"I've never seen a poison that behaved like this before," she said grimly. "and I've treated plenty of poisoned invalids. He's severely dehydrated, and his fever has climbed over the course of his illness when it should have been declining. His body is stressing itself too much in its attempt to fight off the source of the infection, and his breathing is irregular. On top of all that, his pulse is too high and there's no way he hasn't suffered a seizure or two since falling into the coma."

Tyki grimaced. "Is there anything you can do?"

Ayame bit her lip as she studied Lavi again. "I'll do what I can to isolate the poison or whatever it is that has been attacking him. I can't make any promises, but I'll try to ease his pain, so his body will be better prepared to accept the remedies I make for him."

"Do you think it might be something other than a poison?" He asked warily. If she figured out that it was something else entirely, he might have to kill her before this all came to an end. It would be a shame, though, considering how beneficial her methods could be to them in the future. Also, there was no denying that she was a pretty girl. Then again, Poe had said himself that there was nothing more beautiful than a young dead girl.

"Well, if it is poison, then it's already metabolized" she told him. "You said he had already been like this for months?"

"He didn't slip into the coma until about half that time had passed" Tyki told her. "The old man had already gone around the bend, though."

"Like I said, I'll do what I can."

After that night, things fell into a routine. Every night, Tyki would take Ayame up to the annex, during which time she would either examine Lavi, or administer one of her remedies. While these did not wake the boy or cure him, they increased the time between his seizures and eased his pain substantially. He could never get a grasp on what she was doing, but whatever it was, it was working. Each time the boy showed progress, Bookman became a little bit more lucid. Tyki could converse with him in Portuguese and get more straight-forward answers, though the scholar still refused to understand English. His conversations with Ayame were longer and more detailed from what he could tell, but that was probably because he had no reason to hate her. After all, she was the one nursing his apprentice back to relative health. Not only that, she took time out of her day to entertain him on the piano.

One day, after returning from her weekly journey to the market and back, Ayame managed to persuade Tricia to take a turn about the garden, and the lady of the house surprised Tyki by allowing him and Sheryl to come along. The group of four decided to spend their afternoon out on the terrace, and the once tense couple began to show mutual affection again. While they were making small talk, a maid came out to announce that there were three young ladies waiting to see none other than Tyki. Being used to such visits, he told the maid to show them in, and was not surprised to see Miss Georgina Parker and her posse of two, Miss Priscilla Marcel and Miss Diana Faust. Though not Portuguese in nationality, Tyki knew all three women had nice Lisbon summer homes in their family's possession. Their visit to Sheryl's manor was practically expected.

"Miss Parker and friends, all of you will be summering in Lisbon again, I see" he said graciously as the maid brought the three women out to the terrace.

Georgiana smiled. "Lord Mikk, you're looking dapper as ever."

Things went on the way they always went on when Parker, Marcel, and Faust came to play. The latter two girls prattled on with Sheryl, who was something like a favored uncle to them while Georgiana kept Tyki to herself. He knew full well that she had designs on him, but he was still in no hurry to get married, so he kept their banter playful, but distant. Right now, he was arm-in-arm with the young woman, but there was no more sexual fire between them than there was between him and Wisely. Unfortunately, that didn't change one thing: Georgiana's jealous streak. If he so much as looked at another attractive female, Tyki would have a tiger on his arm instead of a woman.

Such was beginning to happen now. As they stepped around the rose bushes, they came across Ayame and Tricia, the latter of whom had asked her to take her to see the fountain instead of the maid. When Georgiana's eyes fell on the Japanese girl, Tyki knew he was walking a fine line between order and chaos. This fact was made evident by Georgiana's overly sweet tone when she spoke.

"Who is that, Lord Mikk?"

He smiled, but he was still wary. "That's Miss Ayame Takeda, our new live-in physician" he told her. "She's done wonders since coming here."

"I see." Georgiana looked less than pleased. "You called her 'Miss', though. Is she from the upper end as well?"

"In Japan, yes."

"Interesting…" Her lips were pursed as she considered her prey. "I would like to meet her, may she come have tea with us?"

Tyki nodded, allowing his interest in seeing where this encounter would go to get the better of him. He called out to Ayame, then she brought Tricia over to sit with Sheryl while he, Georgiana, and her lackeys sat at a separate table. Ayame gave him a questioning look when he beckoned her to join them, but his smile got her to give in and sit down all the same. Introductions were made as they took their seats, and Tyki was pleasantly surprised to see that his ever vigilant physician had already detected something off about Miss Parker and her friends. After tea was served and several moments of what was considered polite silence passed between them, the games began. Georgiana set down her cup, bat her eyelashes at Ayame, and put on her sweetest smile.

"So, Miss Takeda," she said. "I here you come from a good family."

Ayame gave a noncommittal gesture as she sipped her tea. "They are among the upper class, yes" she said politely.

"Are they Samurai, or whatever it's called?"

"As I told Lord Mikk, I would not be here if they were" she replied. "Samurai families live by a strict code of conduct, and no matter what the circumstances, not one of them would leave behind their country."

"So why did you?" Miss Marcel asked curiously.

"Circumstances were in favor of my taking that path."

Georgiana's smile faltered, and Tyki couldn't help but feel somewhat amused that neither she nor her friends could not dig beneath the young woman's exterior. Still, Ayame's cryptic responses only seemed to spur her would-be rival on to find some sort of chink in her armor that she could exploit.

"How did you and Lord Mikk meet?" she asked.

Ayame took another sip of tea. "I was looking for a job in Brighton when I ran into an old acquaintance who happened to be walking with him" she explained. "We got to talking and things just went from there."

Tyki nodded. "That's right, I offered her the job when I heard she was good at her previous duties as a healer" he said.

That caught Georgiana's attention. A slight smirk played about her lips as she said, "so healers are considered part of the nobility in Japan, are they? How strange, they're nothing of the sort over here." It was a warning, she was telling Ayame that though she may have been considered special back home, she was nothing now that she was here.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tyki could see that Ayame had recognized that this was a threat, but she was also smiling. Setting her empty cup down, she folded her hands in her lap and sat up with that impeccable posture of hers. When she was in this position, she was slightly taller than Georgiana, and she was holding her head up at such an angle that she was looking down on the European woman. That pride he had witnessed when he'd first taken her to see Lavi was radiating through every part of her body.

"Miss Parker," she said coolly. "I am not sure how we got off on the wrong end of things, but I am sure of one thing." Here her eyes narrowed, and she lowered her voice so that it was barely above a whisper. "That one thing, Miss Parker, is that you know _nothing_ about me."

The aura that radiated from her now was not simply proud, it was lethal. Tyki had never seen this side of her, nor had he ever expected to. Those silver eyes were no longer stars, but blades of deadly sharpness able to slip between a pair of ribs unnoticed. The words that fell from her lips were no longer sweet, but poisonous, like a coiled snake making its strikes. No matter how Tyki looked at it, the girl he'd thought to be a fragile lily, was actually a hardened rose, hiding its thorns until it was too late for the hand reaching to pluck it to notice.

"Miss Takeda" he said jocundly, attempting to dispel the tension. "I'm sure Miss Parker meant nothing by it."

His words seemed to fall on deaf ears, as Ayame was already getting ready to depart. "No, Lord Mikk, I understood Miss Parker perfectly, but it does not matter to me in the slightest." she said to him. "In fact, perhaps I should be thanking her. After all, she did help me work up the courage to tell you what I'd set out to this morning before Lady Camelot sent for us."

He blinked. "What is that?"

"That my stay with you has come to an end." When she said it, he nearly fell out of his chair.

"What do you mean?!" he cried. "You were making so much progress with my cousin! What will he do if you leave now?" He couldn't believe this, it was so sudden. Sure, she had told him from the outset that this would be temporary, but not even a month had gone by, and now she was leaving. She was the first to make progress in nursing Junior back to health and the old man was finally starting to make sense! If she left now, where would they be? Back at square one, that's where, and he could not have it, he could not let her leave.

An odd spark jumped in her eyes. "My latest ministration to your cousin will do the trick, just give it time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go if I want to catch the next ship to Morocco."

Guests forgotten, Tyki ran after her, pursuing her all the way to her room. As she had implied, her suitcase was packed and sitting on the bed when she went to go retrieve it. "Morocco? Why? And why _now_?"

A sigh left her as she turned to face him. "I haven't been completely honest with you" she said, a note of sadness in her voice.

"I dare say you haven't" he said indignantly. "What on earth brought this on? Are you unhappy here?"

She shook her head. "Do you remember what I said when you asked me to keep Junior's location a secret?" she asked.

He nodded. "You said you knew what it was like to be hunted…" he trailed off.

Now she nodded. "My pursuers have caught up with me, and they will do all they can to drag me back to Shikoku" she told him. "I do not want to bring them here when all I have received from you is kindness."

So that was the big secret, the treasure that lay beneath her armor-like shell. Ayame wasn't just a priestess, she was a priestess on the run. He should have known she was too good to be true, that they would never get this lucky with a doctor like her and there not be some sort of catch. Now he was loosing her, and all hope he had of getting Bookman to surrender his records was going with her. Well, so much for being able to live with Sheryl again. The man was going to raise hell once he realized she was gone.

With one smooth gesture, Ayame draped her coat over her arm and nodded to him to convey her goodbye and thanks. Then, before the thought to drag her back and make her stay fully formed in his head, she was out the door and on her way to the port. By the time he decided to follow after her, she was already gone, lost in the crowded streets of Lisbon.

"Damn it" he hissed, feeling Sheryl tugging at his consciousness to come back. He had wasted over an hour chasing after Ayame, but did his brother really need to use their Noah connection to get him to come home?

"TYKI!" his brother roared his name, and he could tell Sheryl was going on some sort of tirade in the annex. When he sprinted up there, he saw why. The single window was ajar, and both Bookman and Lavi were nowhere to be found. There was no rope or dead bodies at the bottom of the tower, so they hadn't climbed down or jumped to their deaths. Either the old man had been faking his lapse in sanity and he had managed to signal the Order about his whereabouts or a group of Exorcists had stumbled across them on accident.

"I already contacted Fiddler, and the Order has to be involved!" Sheryl said in a strained voice. "He said that the parasites he put in Bookman's apprentice were headed towards the pier, but then they suddenly died out. Only Innocence should be able to take them out, so they must have some sort of accommodator around here, one we don't know about, someone who's good at _healing_!"

Horror like none other washed over Tyki with a sickening wave. It all made sense now; Lavi's miraculous improvements, Bookman's managing to get help from someone even though he'd been locked away in a tower. He could see it on Sheryl's face that he knew it too. They had both been completely taken in, fooled like they'd never thought possible. The Order had been involved, and they had even been clever enough to send an accommodator they'd never seen before.

Ayame.

"She left for the ship bound for Morocco" he told his brother.

Still, as Sheryl sent a group of Akuma to sink the ship, Tyki found himself in a pensive state. Why hadn't they known about her? Fiddler was still keeping one of his parasites alive in Chaoji to spy on the Order, they should have known about Ayame before now. Even if she was traveling undercover, she would have had to stop by at Headquarters to get her mission, during which time they would have definitely seen her. So how had she slipped past them?

The ship due to carry Ayame and the two Bookmen to Morocco had been sunk by the Akuma, but they reported that no one had been on board at the time of the attack except the captain and crew. The officials as the port told him that there had been a last minute change in scheduling, and that the sunken ship had been on coarse to a naval base in Ireland. With Fiddler now unable to track them, Tyki had no choice but to give up the search and wait until the trio returned to the Order. He thus kept a vigilant eye on the organization for the next couple of weeks until he got his answers. This turned out to be a worthwhile use of his time, for, on some weird feeling of sympathy, the Order's Chief decided to have all the Exorcists return for what he said was a well-deserved respite. When they all returned, he saw Ayame, who had been roped into some sort of game the Chief had designed. Through a conversation she had with Kanda Yū, he learned that her real name was Kaida Kirihara. She was actually from some group of Japanese assassins from the main island. It was no small wonder, then, that she had managed to deceive them as well as she had; though that didn't change that the Earl was going to be furious. She had also embarrassed the hell out of him and Sheryl, and damaged his gentleman's pride with her lies.

A wide maniacal spread across his lips as his black side began to emerge. Kaida Kirihara: hers would a slow, and very painful, death.

* * *

**AN: **Yay, Tyki's black side! Just so you know, I don't tend to put a weird romantic twist on the whole "Tyki wanting to make OC suffer" thing, like I've seen some people do. Tyki is the Noah of Pleasure, and I take that to mean he takes pleasure in other people's pain, hence wanting Kai to die slowly for deceiving him and Sheryl. There's going to be nothing between them, he's genuinely pissed off. And, like I said in the summary, I still have no clue if I'm going to pair anyone together at all.

Anywho, the title basically comes from the idea I had that "The best kind of fighter is the one you never see coming". Since Kai's from an assassin family, she would fit that bill.

Also, I don't intend to do these post-chapter comments very often, only when I feel that something needs explaining.

Next chapter is Bookman's POV


	6. Chapter 6

**Important Update to All Readers**

So, I'm happily settled into college, and working hard to build my major and get through my classes. It is understandable, therefore, that finding time for writing fanfics is a little difficult. Even so, I do have a couple in the works -or reworks. I'm going to write/finish/finalize work for the following series: The Betrayal Knows My Name (because I haven't finished even one version yet), D Gray-Man (because I owe it to myself), Bleach (because I have a fun plot line I'd like to work with, and I've never actually gone very far with writing for Bleach before), and _maybe_ Naruto (if I can keep the idea in my head long enough). As per usual, these will all have some version of my OC Kai, and other OCs will play parts in these fics as well (expect repeat performances from the names Haru, Akira, and Ren). I would like to stress, though, that this is not for lack of creativity, but for lack of energy to create any more new characters, especially when I fear I might bring in OCs from my book. That's right, folks, I'm writing a fantasy novel (I mean it, an actual novel with its own original plot and everything -holy sh*t, right?) and it's taken priority over writing with other people's characters. Still, every author needs a break from her own creations, and I consider working with "stock characters" a good break. That's why I will keep writing fanfiction for now. I do plan to finish each of the aforementioned stories, but updates will be slower, and it will take longer to get them done. All I ask for is your patience, and for you all not to be too hard on my when I hang up the long-term fanfiction hat permanently, which I will do when I finish the fanfics I've promised. I say long-term, though, because I may come back with a few shonen-ai oneshots every once in a while.

The long-term fics I am writing are final drafts of the following already published stories (sorted by series):

_( D Gray-Man)_

In Memoriam

Bound by the Symbol of Kegare

Forced Forbearance

Give Me a Reason

_(Betrayal/Uraboku)_

It's Just a Looking Glass

Where Hell Is a Good Thing

_(Bleach)_

Faded

These are the working titles for the upcoming fics, along with the intended pairings (subject to change):

_(D Gray-Man) _

Life Worth Living- KandaxOC (Maybe, it could end up just a friendship between the two of them).

_(Betrayal/Uraboku) _

Black on Black- LuzexOC (I'm actually really excited for this one)

_(Bleach) _

Security- OCxOC (heterosexual); OCxOC (homosexual) (Another one I'm pumped for)

_(Naruto)_

Fine Line- GaaraxOC (again, I may not write this. The idea isn't fully formed yet and I'm not as invested in the series as I once was).

I've already said it, but I'll reiterate: these are FINAL DRAFTS. If I haven't already completed them, I will NOT be finishing any of the already published stories that the finals are based off of. For that matter, I will not be finishing any other incomplete fics either. I simply don't have the time or inspiration.

As always, I appreciate your support. I won't delete my account, nor will I delete any previously written fics, as they serve as a reminder of how much I've improved as a writer. I hope you all will appreciate the new work coming your way. Nothing makes an author happier than receive feedback on her work. Thank you again, and I hope you're all excited for what's to come.

Feel free to message me with any questions!

~H


	7. Chapter 7

Please go to my account profile and read what's there- IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.


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